To Kill a Dream
by rianess
Summary: AU. HarryinAzkaban fic. Framed by Voldemort for murder, Harry languishes in prison, waiting for either the Dark Lord or the Order to claim him. Will he ever be allowed to follow his dreams? Slash. HPSS. Rated for language, dedicated to DCoD.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or anything else you recognise.**

**A/N: I've been wanting to write an Azka!Harry for ages. I've read most of the completed 'Harry in Azkaban' fics on FFN and really enjoyed them. They have somewhat blurred into each other, so if elements of other people's fics are in here, I do apologise. They are what inspired me to write this though, so you could call it a bit of an homage!**

**This fic is dedicated to DCoD, who has been a great help and a supportive reviewer. Thanks!****  
**

**WARNING: Contains slash in later chapters, (though not explicit) please do not read this if it offends you.  
**

* * *

**To Kill a Dream**

* * *

**Chapter One - Prologue**

* * *

"Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends."

**J. R. R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973)**, _The Lord Of the Rings, Book Four, Chapter One_

* * *

_"We of the Wizengamot, do hereby unanimously find the defendant, Harry James Potter guilty of the premeditated and wilful murder of Vernon, Petunia and Dudley Dursley, at their family home, on the 31st of July, 1996. Furthermore, as the defendant has shown himself to be completely without remorse, offering no explanation of his actions, we have decided to sentence him to life in Azkaban prison. Take him down!" _

* * *

Harry awoke with a start, the pain in his scar jerking him from the Dementor induced memory of his farce of a trial. He'd been put in this hellhole of a prison three years ago, for supposedly murdering his relatives. 

Ha! Oh, how he wished he had…

But he was not a killer, and, he had not murdered them. They were selfish, unrepentant bastards, who could use a good smack in the gob. But they didn't deserve to die, and especially not in the way they had. He shuddered to think of the things the Death Eaters had done to them, and made them do to each other, under the _Imperius_curse. Harry had been forced to watch, magically bound and held by Voldemort himself.

And boy! Was that a surprise!

Dumbledore's much revered and vaunted blood wards were a crock of shit. They didn't stop the Dark Lord from waltzing right in the front door, free as you like!

The family had been sat down eating their microwave dinners on their laps, watching '_Who wants to be a Millionaire?' _It was one of Vernon's favourite programmes. He liked to yell out the answers to the questions and scoff at the television when he got them wrong, proclaiming that Chris Tarrant had no idea what he was talking about and the ponce should go out into the world and get a real education.

Harry rather enjoyed being perched on the stairs listening to the old, fat, purple-faced bastard making a fool of himself. Some summers it was his only entertainment. And that particular summer, his slightly scornful amusement at his uncle's foibles had matched his dark mood.

His beloved godfather, Sirius Black, had supposedly died at the Department of Mysteries in that doomed raid to try and save him and the prophecy sphere.

Harry had spent most of the summer grieving for the only person to show him any kind of parental love or concern, and then a week ago, his spy in the Order of the Phoenix told him Sirius was alive and had faked his own death to throw Harry, the Ministry and the Death Eaters off.

From what his spy had gleaned, most of the Order, including Sirius, was convinced that Harry's 'reckless' behaviour put them all at risk, and the less he knew, the safer it would be. None of them seemed to consider, that by explaining things to him, allowing him to understand what was at stake, would be more likely to tame his wild impulses.

Well, one of them had, and had also realised this a good year or so ago, hence his very own spy.

He had been enraged when he found out, and incredibly hurt. Sirius' betrayal of him had literally felt like a knife stabbed him in the back. Harry had wandered around in a daze, completely uncomprehending how he could have read the man so wrong.

At first, he had been convinced that Sirius was under some spell or potion, that was influencing his feelings towards his godson. Then, though he fervently wished he hadn't, he'd remembered the Marauders treatment of Severus.

It seemed one mistake was all it took for his Father's friends to turn against him.

He knew he shouldn't have hared off to the Ministry that night, but stronger men than he had been deceived by Voldemort, Dumbledore included. And though his spy had been listening in on the Order's plans, he had later explained to Harry that he was unable to tell him of the false visions, because Dumbledore had bound him to secrecy. The old man had decided to release it after Sirius's so-called death.

For his part, Harry did not and still could not understand why his godfather had given up on him, seemingly so easily. He realised he found it hard to accept it when people did things he himself would never do. And he would never just give up on someone and throw them to the dogs. It wasn't in him, to treat people that way.

When he'd found out, he had seethed in anger for a few minutes, grabbing his pillow and screaming out his frustration into it, not wanting to disturb his relatives and have them come up there to find out what was going on. Nor did he wish to lose control of his magic and level the house.

That was something new as well; he'd been working in secret for some time now, and was nowhere near the stunted dunce some people took him for. People had accused him of being withdrawn and quiet last year, and they had a point. Only, he wasn't training to become the next Dark Lord, he was training to kill the current one, so he could survive the ordeal, and forge some kind of life for himself afterwards.

Only now, given where he was, that didn't seem possible. In fact he looked like he had a snow's chance in hell of ever having the kind of life he wanted.

He wasn't like Malfoy or any of that lot, he didn't dream of a large manor full of expensive things and hundreds of minions to do his bidding. No, he'd wanted a nice home, in a smallish town, maybe in a village even, where he could take in rescue animals. He wanted to run a shelter or a sanctuary, for all animals. Whether they were horses headed to the knackers yard or kneazles who had been abandoned by their owners. Which happened all too often, in his opinion.

He had a considerable inheritance from his parents and Sirius, and was looking to put that to good use. Though thinking about all he knew, he supposed Black would want his money back now. He'd toyed with the idea of an orphanage, but honestly didn't think he was healed enough within himself, emotionally, to be able to help the children properly.

And that was before all this Azkaban business.

* * *

Voldemort was not nearly as maniacally obsessed with killing Harry as some might think he was. People seemed to overlook his cunning for the madness which glinted in his eyes at times. 

The Dark Lord simply wanted Harry out of the way, and what better way than to have the people he was so desperately trying to protect, to turn on him? Voldemort was perfectly happy to set Harry up, and then sit idly by while the Wizarding World took care of the young saviour for him.

So it was, that once the Deatheaters and their Master had had quite enough 'entertainment' with Harry's family, that they removed traces of the spells cast on them, administered a couple of potions, and then had just enough time for Voldemort to take up Harry's wand and cast the killing curse on all three of them.

Harry was stunned and his wand placed in his hand, along with a backpack full of his belongings which a Voldy-Lackey had packed earlier, to make it look like Harry had been about to run away after the murders.

The last thing Harry had heard before he'd lost consciousness that night, had been Riddle's voice: "_Let's see how your adoring public views you now, Harry. I think you'll find that 'innocent until proven guilty' is not a sentiment the Wizarding World subscribes to." _

The same high pitched laughter which haunted his dreams from the night his parents died, had echoed in Harry's ears once again.

* * *

Harry wondered at times, sitting in his dark and cold cell, if he wasn't a little bit, or a lot, mad. 

When he had arrived here, nearly three years ago, he had been so angry. He was furious at his so called friends. Only one of them had stuck up for him, and that, surprisingly, was Ron. Ronald Weasley, whom everyone thought would be the first to turn his back on him. He had stuck by him, and been thrown out of the courtroom, screaming that Harry was innocent and must be under some spell which stopped him from being able to defend himself.

His trial was a complete fake and a ridiculous waste of time. He often wondered why they had bothered. After all, Sirius had merely been thrown straight in, with no legal proceedings whatsoever.

He supposed it was because he was the Boy-Who-Lived, and the people would have gone crazy if he wasn't allowed a trial. Not crazy, so that he would have a fair hearing mind you – they wanted justice to be served. And in their eyes, it seemed, that meant they should all have a fair chance at vilifying and cursing him.

Though, unfortunately for them, they'd mainly only been able to use words and not wands, such were the protections on Courtroom Ten. And how the public had loved turning on their once-saviour! He had in fact wondered if some of them were getting off on the hateful things they were saying to him, from the gleam in their eyes, many of them were finding it distinctly pleasurable.

Fudge had been positively triumphant, while Dumbledore had played the disappointed mentor masterfully.

* * *

When he had been put in chains to be taken away, his closest friends had decided that was the opportune moment to add their piece, and none of them had minced their words. 

"You are a disgrace! You don't deserve to be a Potter! I am ashamed I ever thought of you as one of my own! I brought you into my house! And let you near my children! You stay away from us, you, you, FILTH!"

Harry had flinched violently away from this verbal assault from the Weasley matriarch, still unable to say anything because of a spell one of the Aurors had placed on him before the trial.

Mrs Weasley made him angry, but he wasn't all that hurt by her words, she was just looking out for her kids, and he couldn't blame her for that.

Remus though, his vicious diatribe cut Harry to the quick, and even now, all these years later, brought tears to his eyes.

"You are no son of Lily and James! I dread to think of what they would say now. I only wish I could travel back in time, and tell Lily to get an abortion. You killed them, just like you killed the Dursleys. This world would be better off if you had never been born!"

All of this was delivered in a quiet but deadly voice, and Harry had been stung by the intense hate in the werewolf's eyes.

Then, to cap it all off, the man who he knew was actually Sirius, despite the disguise, decided to join in the fun.

"You deserve everything you get, MURDERER. You had better hope you die in prison, because if you ever come near my friends again, I'll kill you myself!" He had declared, and then Harry had been dragged away, the Aurors not being at all gentle to him.

The icing on the cake for what was probably the worst day of Harry's life, except perhaps the night of the Third Task, the Aurors who held him had decided that a good beating would be a nice send off for him, before Harry was transported to Azkaban.

* * *

Despite all of this, and the fact that their words, which he'd had to relive more than a few times, still hurt him, the anger which had been so rife within him when he had first been brought here, had begun to ebb away. 

The Dementors, who had feasted on him when he arrived, lost interest in him, and he barely saw them more than once or twice a month these days. He reasoned that his seeming apathy was a symptom of his insanity and that there was nothing in him for the horrible monsters to feed off of, anymore.

One thing he was sure of, though, he would not forgive his former friends.

Not openly anyway. He made himself let go of his hate, because it would be far more damaging to him, in the long run. So, he would not hate them, but if he ever got out of here and his innocence was proven... if they came to him, for absolution, he would not give it to them.

He actually thought it likely he would get out of here, some day, never mind that he had a life sentence.

Voldemort would probably come and get him, thinking that his years of imprisonment would make him an easy target for either conversion or annihilation.

His innocence might yet be discovered, for the evidence against him was sketchy at best. Sure, his wand had fired three killing curses. But Dumbledore and whole lot of other people knew that his wand was brother to the Dark Lord's. It didn't take a giant leap of faith to believe that he could have used Harry's wand to frame him. Other than his presence at the crime scene, again, no great leap considering he lived there, if you could call it living, there was only so called 'character witnesses' who spoke of Harry's withdrawal from his 'dear friends'.

Most of the members of the D.A., including Hermione and Ginny, had got up to give evidence on how they had all worried he was turning dark, and that it was only a matter of time before he went out on a Deatheater inspired killing spree. The way they described it, they were constantly in fear of their lives around him, wondering who he would off first.

No one thought to ask why they had cajoled him into running the D.A., or spent so many hours outside of lessons and the house working with him.

Two people.

Only two people believed he was innocent – Ron and his spy. He didn't hold out much hope that just two people could save him. Yet, he wouldn't give up on them.

After ruminating on the subject for a while, he decided he could add Dobby, and possibly Winky, to his list of supporters. He really didn't think that either house elf would believe he was a killer. At least, he hoped not. But he didn't dwell on that thought. His tiny list of friends was small enough as it was, and, along with the fact that he _knew _he was innocent, and that he was an unregistered Animagus, were the only things keeping him going.

Harry, surprisingly, or not, was a snake Animagus – a Boomslang. When he found out, he shared a laugh with Ron, the redhead declaring that he shouldn't tell Snape or Hermione about his Animagus form, as they would be forever trying to get at his skin.

He spent as much time as he dared in his snake form, curled up in the cleanest, or least dirty corner of his cell. The cold bothered him in that body, but the threadbare blanket the wardens so _kindly _provided, offered more warmth to him as a snake than it did as a human, especially if he warmed it up with his body heat before transforming.

It had crossed his mind that the extended time spent as a snake could be the cause of the changes in his mentality. Snakes were, on the whole, practical and indifferent creatures. They attacked if attacked, but unless they were hunting and feeding, they generally left well enough alone. From all the conversations he'd had with the reptiles, he never found one that hated with a passion like humans did.

Not exactly being in a position to research the phenomena however, Harry put it aside as something to ponder if he ever got out of here.

* * *

Another couple of years passed, and Harry's only contact with the outside world were fleeting visits from his spy. These visits were, of a necessity, short and sweet. 

From what he could gather, the rest of the world was not doing too well. Voldemort was taking over slowly, but surely, and while there hadn't been that many casualties, the people who had died, were key players in the Ministry and some of the others were Order members:

Dung was gone, as was Hestia Jones, Emmeline Vance, and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Fudge was dead, and so was Umbitch. Harry was not precisely grieving for her.

Percy Weasley has been killed very recently, and Harry had laughed a rare, quite chuckle when his spy told him that he'd been found with the Dark Mark burned into his arm. He bet Molly Weasley hadn't been expecting that from one of her _perfect _sons.

Amos Diggory and his wife had been killed, and Harry had shed tears for them. He only hoped they had been reunited with their son, and somehow, somewhere, they were happy.

Seamus Finnegan's mother was killed, as were Hermione's parents. He did feel sorry for the two of them. He knew what it was like to lose a family. But he did not cry for them, not a single tear.

What was even more amusing, was that his spy reported that the Order was considering granting him clemency, in exchange for his help in fighting Voldemort. Harry had snorted and told his visitor that he would refuse if they asked, and enjoy doing it. What was slightly worrying, was the report that the Dark Lord had decided that after five years languishing in prison on the whim of the Wizarding World, that Harry was ripe for recruitment.

He was coming to Azkaban, in one month's time.

The Order of the Phoenix, knew this too, apparently, and they were coming to get Harry as well, to prevent him falling into Voldemort's hands. They had not come immediately on hearing this information, as they were having trouble getting anyone to agree that he should be moved, and where he should be moved to.

His faithful spy didn't now know who would arrive first. Harry had told him, that Fate being what it was, they would probably come on the same day. All he had to do now, was wait. After five years staring at the same four walls, a month was practically a blink of an eye to him.

Yes, he could wait.

He was good at waiting. He wondered if anyone would recognise him, when they came. This caused him to laugh, long and loud, and made the Auror passing his cell _tut_ and sigh at the madness of the Boy-Who-Lived.


	2. Never Assume

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or anything you recognise.**

**A/N: Wowee! eight reviews already! You guys are the best. Again, apologies to anyone who feels this parallels their fics too closely. With all the azkaharry fics out there, it's impossible to make anything completely original. But I'm enjoying writing this anyway. I am going to try to make this with no or minimal OC involvement, so we'll see how that goes. **

**This story is dedicated to DCoD who has been such a great reviewer, thanks again! **

* * *

Chapter Two – Never Assume

* * *

"For God hates utterly  
The bray of bragging tongues."

**Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC)**, _Antigone_

* * *

Harry slithered round his cell, getting what little exercise he could. In his diminished state the tiny room seemed a lot larger, and helped a little when the claustrophobia he'd suffered from all his life, reared its ugly head. Changing into a snake made it retreat to the back of his mind. In some ways, this little room reminded him of his cupboard. There were many points to compare, and he couldn't decide which was worse - his cupboard or his prison cell. The cupboard wasn't damp, there were no Dementors, and there was the chance of being let out of it at least once a day, sometimes more, if he had done enough work around the house. No chance of that here. But here, there was no Vernon, and though the Aurors who guarded the prison did stop by every now and then for a friendly beating, he was largely left alone. 

The frequency of the beatings from the oh-so-noble law enforcement officers had waned over the years. At first they had told him he was paying his dues, and that he had been let off too lightly with his life sentence. They all thought he should have got the Kiss. Harry had just grit his teeth and bared it, just thankful they hadn't raped him. He had made a point of remaining a virgin, and for good reason. Anyone he slept with would likely just go and brag about deflowering the Boy-Who-Lived, and he refused to let his first encounter with intimacy be defiled in such a way. He realised this was a rather old fashioned point of view, as most boys his age wanted to do it as soon as possible, and as often as possible. But then, without meaning to sound arrogant, none of them understood what it meant to be him. How could they? His situation was nothing if not…unique.

He was exercising to try and get some endorphins flowing through his wasted body, because today was _the day_. D-Day, or his version of it at least.

Voldemort was coming to Azkaban today to release his incarcerated minions, and, if his vision was correct, to fetch the Boy-Who-Lived-to-be-Framed.

His imprisonment had done nothing to diminish the connection with the red eyed lunatic, but his clandestine training in Occlumency helped a great deal. He couldn't always stop the visions, he wasn't superhuman, after all, and his physical strength waned and waxed depending on when they remembered to feed him. His health greatly affected his ability to clear his mind, and as such, he was sometimes thrown into a vision despite all his efforts to avoid it. If Tom knew he was there, he didn't seem to give a toss. It wasn't like Harry could tell anyone of his plans, apart from the mice or the other unsavoury characters who frequented his current abode.

He wondered if Snape had warned the Order of the Limpdicks of the impending attack, and if so, whether they would mount an attack on the Dark Lord and try to get to him first. As with his cupboard and his cell, he wasn't sure which was worse.

Voldemort would ask him to sign up for the fun and games, and would kill him slowly and painfully if he refused. Though, if he was really angry, he might get a quick _Avada Kedavra_ for his sins.

Dumbledore and his band of merry halfwits, however, would probably try and rehabilitate him, or something equally disturbing, after one or all of them got in a few punches to remind him of how evil he was, and what a disappointment he turned out to be.

If he went with Voldie, he would die. He had no illusions about this. On the other hand, if he went with Dumbledore, there was a very large chance he'd end up dead as well, and probably from the proverbial knife in the back too. There was a very small chance though, that his spy could spirit him away. Or, when in range, he could call for Dobby. He would not call for the little guy here, as Dementors were deadly to house elves. But, if they took him back to Hogwarts…and they most likely would…

_"I wonder…" _Harry thought to himself. _"I wonder…" _

* * *

Harry jumped as the door to his cell rattled and slowly swung open, for the first time in months. He quickly schooled his features to blankness, and pulled his knees up to his chest, rocking slightly, while staring at the opposite wall. He was humming quietly, '_Baa Baa Black Sheep', _the only tune that came to mind. He idly noted that it would help whoever was here to believe he really was mad, which he himself was actually already convinced of. Sure, he had his more lucid moments, but he was fairly sure he was completely barking, stark, raving mad. How could he not be, after five years of Azkaban? He was briefly reminded of a book he read, which mentioned that if you knew you were mad, then you probably were sane, but he was sure that didn't apply to him. 

He waited for the person who entered his cell to come within his visual range, as he didn't dare risk even a look out of the corner of his eye.

"Potter! The Dark Lord requests the honour of your presence!" Was spat with such venom, that Harry doubted there was any honour involved. He didn't react however, and the person softly cursed. "Bring him!" Was muttered to somebody else, and two pairs of hands roughly yanked him up off the floor and dragged him out of his cell. He carried on with his humming, seemingly unaware of what was happening.

The Deatheaters glanced at him occasionally, and looked away in distaste, but didn't say anything. After what felt like hours, they emerged outside, and though it was early evening, Harry couldn't help squinting slightly at the light. The Order members and the Deatheaters appeared to be fairly evenly matched, and were squared up to each other. At the arrival of Harry and his escorts, all signs of battle ceased as everyone turned to watch.

Harry inwardly snorted, they were all complete idiots! Did the Limpdicks not realise that this was their chance to incapacitate a large number of the white masked dimwits? They were all just standing there! One simultaneous volley was all that was needed, and a good lot of them would be knocked out. But no, they were just enjoying the floor show, gazing over at Harry in disgust.

* * *

He was thrown to the ground at the feet of the Dark Lord, mud splattering on his face and already dirty prison robes. The high pitched laughter had returned, and this time, it wasn't in a memory. 

"Well, well, well. What have we here? How the mighty have fallen. Oh, Dumbledore!" Voldemort called out to his former teacher in a sing-song voice. "Here's your Golden Boy, though, he looks a little worse for wear. You might want to send for a newer a model, but, oh! Silly me! You did that already. How is Longbottom's training progressing? Can he perform a Summoning Charm yet, or even a Patronus? Hmm?" He giggled like a girl and looked down at Harry.

The Potter boy had not moved an inch from where he was thrown, and his face was still lying in the mud. He seemed to be singing or something, but his eyes showed nothing but vacancy. Riddle quickly scanned his mind, and found nothing. There were the remnants of what must have been visions, but they were broken and jumbled together. Clearly, Harry had been witnessing some of his meetings, but was too far gone to comprehend any of them. It was a pity, because he could have made a powerful lieutenant if he could have been repaired, but now it looked unlikely. He could perhaps make a nice pet…Lucius had been longing for someone new to warm his bed. But there was no joy in dominating a partner if they didn't react to any of their punishments.

He idly kicked the fallen saviour at his feet and waited. There was still nothing. What a shame. Well, some joy could still be salvaged from this fiasco. He turned back to the Headmaster, and signalled to two of his men to throw the broken young man at the old wizard's feet. He rubbed his hands together with glee, he so rarely got a chance to taunt the old fool properly, and he would milk this one for all it was worth. The old bastard was so damn uptight and self-righteous that a good bit of childish twitting would rile him up nicely.

"Here, catch! I thought you should be blessed with the fruits of your labour. Now, don't look at me like that, I may have…pointed the way, but you did this to him, not me!" He shouted and the Deatheaters laughed while the Order members looked confused.

"What are you saying Tom?" Albus asked, frowning at the unmoving body a few feet away from him.

"I'm saying that how many of you knew him well? I mean really knew him? I have seen into his mind, ever since I was reborn. That child, who is now a man, is no killer. I wonder, did Ollivander tell you what was so special about Potter's wand, hmm? I'm sure you know what I mean. Well, I can't stand around here all day, places to go, people to kill. Busy, busy, busy. Why don't you clean the poor deranged boy up and give him one of those Lemon Drops you're so fond of, old man, you know? The ones laced with Veritaserum. I'm sure you would fid the results fascinating. Oh, wait! I forgot, he's catatonic! Won't be saying anything ever again. Silly me. Well, I guess you'll never know the truth. You have a nice day now!" He cackled, and with a whoosh, he and his followers disappeared, presumably by portkey.

The Order was frozen in shock, half of them staring at where the Dark Lord had vanished, the other half gazing at the crumpled figure on the ground in front of Headmaster Dumbledore. What exactly had Voldemort been hinting at?

* * *

Albus managed to rouse himself and give quick orders for everyone to vacate the area immediately. He himself cast _mobilicorpus _on Harry's unmoving body, and led his group to the boats they'd arrived on. Riddle's wards were still in place, and though he'd been able to leave by portkey, they were could not. Once they reached the bank on the other side, they were out of range of the wards, and so quickly portkeyed back to Hogwarts. Not knowing what else to do with the prisoner, he was taken up to the Hospital Wing by Snape, where Madam Pomfrey immediately refused to treat him. 

"I am not having that…_thing _in my ward, I have proper patients to tend to, and they do not need _that _in here fouling up the air!" She declared and closed the door in the face of the Potions Master, who merely raised and eyebrow and shrugged. Having no other option, he took him down to his own quarters, and laid him gently on the sofa.

"Do you want a bath first, or potions?" He asked the young man.

* * *

Harry got up and stretched, wincing at his aching muscles, hearing a few pops and cracks. 

"I guess that answers your question Severus." He replied with a tired smile.

"Indeed. Follow me then, if you will." He suggested, and led the way to his rather opulent bathroom.

"Hey…this is nice. Did you kit it out yourself?" Harry asked him, and a quirk of the lips indicated that Severus appreciated the praise.

"Yes I did. One often bathes to relax, and as such I believe it is important to have the most luxurious surroundings." He stated whilst running the bath and adding several potions: muscle relaxant, strong healing and energising. The water turned a strange bluey-purple colour, but it smelled nice, and after five years in prison, Harry was just itching to immerse himself in the warm water. He quickly stripped, ignoring, for the moment, Severus' sharp intake of breath when he saw the other man's emaciated and scarred body. Added to the that were the bruises and scrapes from today, at the hands of Voldemort and Dumbledore's people. He threw his dirty robes in a pile on the nice clean floor, and Severus tutted and scowled at him.

"What do you want me to do with these?" He asked, eyeing the nasty material with obvious revulsion.

"Burn them." Was all Harry said, and Severus nodded, waving his wand and muttering an _incendio._ Once that was done, he took off his outer robe and sat on the edge of the bath to assist his impromptu guest. Harry protested slightly, but his arms were already tired, and he gave in easily.

"So how are you, really?" Snape asked quietly. The former Gryffindor considered it for a moment and then sighed.

"I don't know. While I was there, I was convinced I was mad. But now…I really don't know. Is this real Severus? Am I really here? Or is this some elaborate hallucination? How will I ever know for sure, that I'm not still in Azkaban?" He answered in a quiet voice.

"I don't know either Harry. But I gave you my allegiance and my friendship more than six years ago. I won't let you down now, not when you're so close to being free." Severus said, gently washing Harry's hair now that the tangles were all out.

"I guess. I suppose I'm going to have to come clean about my catatonia. If only to clear my name. Though, I imagine Albus may be having a few doubts about my guilt after everything Riddle said. He practically hit them all over the head with the truth. Though with the Order of the Limpdicks in attendance, he really should have used a neon sign that read '_I Framed Harry Potter' _in flashing pink lights. Then, after a lot of thinking and researching in the library, they may have worked out that I didn't do it. Of course, by then, I would have died of old age." Harry delivered all this with a straight face, while Severus had given up on his stony mask and was chuckling softly. Once they were done, and Harry had had a good soak, letting the potions do their work, Snape tucked him up in bed, forcing him to down a nutrition potion, and some Dreamless Sleep.

* * *

Severus had settled in his favourite armchair and was nursing a large scotch, when Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the fireplace. The older man sat on the sofa, and frowned at his Potions teacher. Snape didn't say anything, knowing that whatever the Headmaster wanted to say, he would say, and needed no prompting from his end. So, he just waited, sipping his drink. 

"I realise that Voldemort ordered you to remain here at the castle, so as not to blow your cover by appearing at Azkaban…so you may or may not know what he related to me when our paths crossed in front of the prison." He paused, the lines in his face suddenly seeming more pronounced. After a long minute, he continued. "He told me he had seen into Harry's mind, and that Harry was no killer. Then he reminded me of the connection between their wands, and told me to administer Veritaserum to the boy. He said that he had 'pointed the way' but we had turned Harry into what he is. I believe he was trying to tell me that Harry was framed. He is innocent." Albus finished, with a pained expression on his face. When it seemed that no more was forthcoming, Severus spoke.

"And do you believe him? You may recall, Headmaster, that I and Ronald Weasley told you at the time that Harry Potter is incapable of murder. Moreover, why would he chose his sixteenth birthday to kill his family, when he knew that was the last summer he would ever have to spend with them? What evidence, other than his wand, was there of his crime? He was found _stupefied _at the scene, and no Veritaserum was used on him to establish his supposed guilt. And yet, the boy has spent five years in prison for murder." Severus soft words seemed to strike Albus as if they were blows. He looked more pained and weaker by the second.

"By Merlin! _What have we done?"_ He whispered, and slumped in his seat. Severus jumped up to check him and make sure he hadn't had a heart attack. He was alive, but in shock, and he cursed softly. He snapped his fingers for a house elf, and Dobby popped in.

"How is Dobby helping Professor-sir?" The exuberant little fellow appeared just as cheerful as usual.

"Mr Potter is in the next room, please watch over him. He's had a potion, so he should sleep for a while yet, but I would like you to be there, should he wake. Yours is a face he trusts, and I think he will need that right now." He ordered, and the little elf began blubbing. It was a matter of moments to establish him as a sentinel over Harry's slumbering form, and then the Potions Master levitated Albus' body, and headed for the Hospital Wing for the second time that day. As he walked, he pondered the situation. He did not wish to think of the Headmaster's incapacitation in a mercenary spirit, but he was a Slytherin, and all his instincts told him that the fuss that would arise from the old man's sudden illness might just be the cover he and his lovely pet Boomslang snake would need to quietly disappear.

It was sheer luck that Harry had been given over to his care so easily, and so quickly. Despite all their ranting at the time of his trial, for the young man's so called friends and family, it appeared 'out of sight, out of mind' was the method they chose to employ when it came to Harry Potter. As such, none of them were particularly bothered about what happened to him, and since they hated Snape as much as they hated Harry, they were inordinately pleased that the one had been foisted off on the other. Severus had expected something like this, but hadn't wanted to bank on it, and so he had devised some contingency plans. He was glad they appeared not to be needed, since his friend was resting in his bed right now.

He knew Harry wished to clear his name, but that could be dealt with later. For surely, if he did it now, the Order would force him to remain and fight the Dark Lord. Something he knew Harry had no interest in, at least, not on their terms. He would speak with him when he awoke, and then, if he was agreeable, they would set about their plans. As he walked through the double doors into the ward room, and tuned out that god-awful woman's screeching, he made a mental note to summon the youngest Weasley brother.

It was time for them to leave.


	3. Turnabout is Fair Play

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter, or anything else you recognise.**

**A/N: Thank you sooo much to everyone who reviewed, I was overwhelmed with the positive response I received. I will try my best to make this story one you will enjoy reading. **

**This fic is dedicated to DCoD, who has been a great help and a supportive reviewer. Thanks!**

* * *

Chapter Three – Turnabout is Fair Play

* * *

"Live well. It is the greatest revenge."

**The Talmud**

* * *

Harry awoke, warm and contented, wrapped in super soft sheets and a huge, snuggle-worthy duvet. It had been so long since he was warm, and too long since he had slept in anything this comfortable. He sighed and pulled the duvet closer, hoping to lose himself in sweet oblivion. He still wasn't sure if any of this was real, though his bladder was speaking to him in a loud voice, telling him he really needed to get up and use the loo before he embarrassed himself. Upon sitting up, he noticed he was not alone, and his little friend Dobby was perched in the corner, shyly tugging on his ears. Harry didn't say anything, he merely held his arms open wide, smiling broadly at the independent little house elf. Dobby scuffed his feet a little, but got the message and launched himself into Harry's arms, sobbing uncontrollably about how he had been unable to rescue his Harry-Potter-Sir.

Severus watched all this from the doorway, having been alerted by a charm when Harry awoke. He'd been unceremoniously shoved out of the Hospital Wing by the gorgon who called herself Poppy Pomfrey, and so had returned to his quarters and relaxed with a nice book. It being Saturday, he had no lessons to attend to, and it was not a Hogsmead weekend either. An owl had gone to Weasley, though he'd probably heard it all from that shrewish mother of his already.

Ron had taken refuge more than once with his formerly hated Potions Master, when his family's diatribe had become too much for him. They had initially been downright nasty to him, for his unwavering support of his best friend, and most of his school friends had cut ties with him as well. He had been stripped of his prefect status, having been deemed an 'unsuitable role model' and kicked off the Quidditch team. Though Snape knew these actions hurt him a great deal, he had not buckled under the pressure. He had merely stated that he did not want to be friends, or have any involvement with people who abandoned the people they supposedly cared about, so easily. When he'd reached seventeen, he had tried to distance himself from his family, but his mother never left him alone.

That Granger girl was just as bad too. She could be seen constantly digging at the poor fellow, sitting there, nagging and nagging, while he was trying eat or work. Like Chinese water torture, or something of that kind. He eventually told her to leave him the hell alone, or he would slap her with a restraining order. This only deterred her for so long, and it had taken a threat from Professor Snape to get her to leave him alone in his lessons. In spite of all this, the girl still seemed to think some kind of romance was possible between the two of them, and set about nagging him in other ways. That was when Ron started hiding out in his Potion teacher's rooms, an upshot of which was that he got an 'outstanding' on his potions NEWT.

The Weaselette, as Draco liked to call her, was probably the worst of all. She spent her time between moping around and sighing dramatically, portraying herself as some kind of wronged lover, and the rest of the time sleeping with anything that moved. His godson had told him she'd even propositioned him a time or two, and, when he'd laughed in her face, had tried to turn it round to make it seem like _she'd _rejected _him. _"Stupid bint." Draco had declared.

And the rumours she spread were outrageous! At one point she had a fair number of the school believing she had been pregnant with Potter's love child, but had lost it tragically due to the shock of finding out he was a murderer. Severus knew for a fact that this was untrue, as Harry had confided to him, that not only was he gay, but also a virgin, and had no plans to lose it to Ginny Weasley, of all people.

"I don't want herpes, thank you Severus." He had stated calmly.

* * *

A commotion from behind him drew his attention away from his friend and the ecstatic house elf, who seemed to be trying to condense five years worth of news into the shortest space of time possible. Snape turned around and saw Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy seemed to have fallen out of his Floo in a most undignified manner. For Weasley, it was quite normal, but Draco had no excuse.

Draco had initially been indifferent to his rival's incarceration, aside from a slight irritation that the person he loved to argue with was now gone, it didn't really matter to him all that much. But when he had encountered Ron and Severus playing chess in his godfather's quarters, he was given pause for thought. Over a series of months, the two of them had slowly changed the young pureblood's mind on a lot of things, and with him, a few others as well. Harry had far more friends on the 'outside' than he believed. Severus hadn't told him on one of his scant visits, because he knew Harry would have to see it for himself, before he could accept it.

"Not your most graceful entrance Draco." The Potion Master said in greeting, offering a hand to help Draco untangle himself from his redheaded friend.

"Well, I had an armful of Weasley, what do you expect?" Draco replied, rising, and helping Ron up as well.

"Good point. Welcome both of you. He is in the other room with Dobby just now, and I'm happy to report he seems quite sane. His health is not so good, but I think with a bit of care and attention, he will be fine." He told them, and the two younger men smirked.

"And you want to be the one to provide that 'care and attention', am I right?" Ron said, with a nudge and a wink. The two Slytherins just rolled their eyes at him, and made their way to Harry's door. Pausing while Snape knocked, the three of them exchanged smiles at the firm "Enter!" Which came from within. Harry was just getting back into bed, presumably having just used the adjoining bathroom.

Time seemed to stand still as the four wizards simply looked at each other.

Harry was examining the odd trio, assuming that explanations for their association would come later. He spent a few minutes cataloguing the changes in Draco and Ron. His memories of them were of awkward teenaged boys, now, they were men. And their still young faces showed that they had probably had to grow up too fast. He felt a flash of anger at that thought, but pushed it down. That was the way of life, and one could only live it, there was no other way. If it was not one thing, then it was another. Everyone had to lose their childish innocence at some point, and though it was a tragedy, it was as inexorable as the course of the moon and the changing tides. He felt sadness though, as he imagined _he _probably had a great deal to do with whatever had happened to them over the last five years.

"Well then. This is a lot more civilised than I imagined it to be. I had half thought that Weasley would have prostrated himself at your feet by now Potter, and would be sobbing and carrying on like a girl." Draco declared with a smirk, though his eyes lacked any kind of malice, and everyone in the room knew it was a way of breaking the tension.

"Hey! What's with 'Weasley' all of a sudden Draco?" Ron protested and the Malfoy heir shrugged.

"I had an urge to relive the 'good old days', before four-eyes here got himself thrown in prison, and this place went to the dogs." He sighed, examining his nails critically, and then brushing off some lint from his expensive looking robes. Ron just glared at him, crossing his arms.

"Bite me, Malfoy!" He replied and Draco turned to him, a smouldering look in his eyes.

"Later, darling." He returned before looking at Harry once more. The former Golden Boy was having a hard time trying to work out how to react. His mind was not able to grasp the reality of what he was seeing. Ron had merely blushed at Draco's blatant innuendo, but he had looked away with a pleased smile on his face, and what appeared to be a gleam of anticipation in his eyes.

It couldn't be! But it sure looked like it…Ron…and Draco?

Harry was beginning to feel a little bit faint.

"Ah…five years is a long time…but…are you two…?" He couldn't finish his sentence, and placed a weary hand on his forehead. That was all it took for Severus to brush past the erstwhile enemies, and begin fussing over Harry. A few protests and several foul tasting potions later, saw Harry resting comfortably against the Potions Master's chest, the man's warmth radiating through his back, making him feeler safer than he ever had in his whole life. He still had his doubts about his sanity, but he found himself listening to the tale of just what had happened to these three during his involuntary absence.

* * *

"After your trial, if you can call it that, things were chaotic, to say the least. Everyone was trying to get a piece of the action, lies were spread everywhere about you. You would not believe some of the crap that was written in the paper!" Ron began the tale, and here Draco stepped in.

"From what I have calculated, you have sired at least sixty seven bastards in your fifth year Harry, and seem to have carried on affairs with hundreds of witches. All of whom swear that you promised to marry them when you came of age." He told the shocked young man, who just listened without making any comments. Ron took up the narrative again.

"As you can imagine, that began intense speculation as to whether you intended to build yourself a harem, or were in fact trying to breed your own dark army. This of course prompted all those women to scream loudly and beat their breasts about how 'Evil Harry Potter' would never be allowed to use their child for his nefarious purposes, and that they would die to defend their babies etc. It was endless!

The family was no better either. I think nearly all of them sold their stories in some way or another, even Percy, who you've probably only spoken to half a dozen times. Bill and Charlie have remained out of the country and have refused to get involved in any of the bullshit that has been going on over here. The Twins have kept their heads down, though I dunno if it's because they support you, or because they feel guilty that you gave 'em the money to start up their shop. As for me, um…" Ron's voice faltered as he came across memories that he would rather banish.

"I think I should cut in here Ron, if you don't mind?" Draco stepped up smoothly and placed a reassuring hand on the other man's back. Ron nodded silently and indicated for the Slytherin to continue. He got up and went over to the enchanted window, staring sightlessly out over the vista it displayed.

"The past, almost five years, have been difficult for Ronald. And, I am making a gross understatement by saying that. In the beginning, most of his family were too involved in their own affairs to bother with him at all. Not so that they starved him or anything like that, but they mainly let him be. Molly was playing the betrayed mother, Arthur was the grieving father, and the children were left to their own devices. The Weaselette, well, she was one of the ones who were having your baby, although she claimed she miscarried through the shock of finding out what its father really was.

At this point, Ronald had had enough, and declared loudly at the dinner table, while Weaselette was mid tirade, that you were gay and wouldn't have touched a slut like her with a ten foot barge pole! Obviously, this did not go down too well, even if it is the truth. From that point on, his family decided it was time to 'take him in hand'. Dumbledore was involved, and he suggested some kind of 'de-programming' technique he'd heard muggles use. The experience for Ronald was not pleasant, he had to spend hour upon hour being interrogated by some horrible shrink, who tried to convince him his best friend was a murderer. Needless to say, none of them were pleased by their lack of progress. Every time they cited parts of your history, as examples of your antisocial behaviour, he would throw them back in their faces, reminding them what you have done for his family, for the world even.

Eventually they gave up and sacked the shrink, but didn't let up on Ron. Hogwarts was his only sanctuary, and Severus his only protector." At this point in Draco's recounting, Harry swivelled round to look at his Order spy, confusion and gratitude blazing in his intense, green eyes.

"Let Draco explain." Severus said quietly, and after a small frown, Harry shrugged and turned back to his childhood nemesis. Though, if his nemesis was now shacked up with his best friend, he would probably end up a friend of sorts too. While he didn't have any particular fond feelings for the young Malfoy, neither did he harbour any hate. He'd left that all behind in Azkaban. He was beginning to think it would be a good idea to begin their acquaintance anew, and see how things went. It couldn't be worse than it was before. He left his thoughts for the moment, as the blond had begun talking again.

"Have you heard the expression _"The enemy of my enemy is my friend"_ Harry? I'm sure that, despite your incarceration, you realised as well, as you got older, that there comes a time where one is forced to stop and take a good, hard look at oneself and one's ideals. Well, that happened to the three of us. Ronald you see, never backed down in his support of you. He staunchly declared, whenever asked, that anyone who had saved his life and the lives of others so selflessly, so many times, was not a murderer. Unfortunately, Gryffindors are known for their rash actions, and their sometimes harsh and judgemental natures. After a particularly nasty encounter with the various fists and kicks of his housemates, Ronald managed to crawl his way down to the dungeons. He told me at the time, that at least the Slytherins never pretended to be his friends, and felt safer with them.

To cut a ridiculously long story short, he was found by some of my cohorts and carried to Severus quarters, where I and my godfather were sharing a drink and discussing the many failings of our legal system. When we saw what had happened…" His voice trailed off as he turned to face his lover, whose shoulders were shaking slightly, and was trying to hide his sobs. Draco did not tease him about crying, as Harry expected him to do. He walked straight up to him and turned him round, pulling him close and holding him with such an expression of tenderness, that it took Harry's breath away. He realised, that that encounter must have been a turning point, for these three. For three people who had interacted with each other so many times, before, this must have been a rude awakening, of sorts.

"You two…come here." Harry ordered in a voice husky with emotion. They obeyed, and were soon sat on Severus bed, engaged in a bizarre four way hug, that the four of them knew they needed, but were too proud to admit out loud. When they drew away, there was much huffing and masculine embarrassment about expressing such intense feelings, but it had been cathartic and they were glad they had done it.

"I think I understand. I had no idea, what it would be like, for those of you…left behind. You've been as much in prison as I have, despite having your physical freedom, haven't you?" Harry said, and the others slowly nodded, though they realised his question was largely rhetorical. Harry sighed, and then slowly but surely, a crooked smiled spread across his face.

"So, when do we leave?"

* * *

During their preparations to depart, the three wizards had filled Harry in on the more practical elements of the last, nearly five years he had been away. Harry was inordinately glad that he had been taken from prison before his twenty first birthday, which was just over a month away. He was overjoyed that he would be able to celebrate the milestone outside of Azkaban, and with people who cared about him.

He was very touched and surprised to find the letters which had been sent to Ron and Severus, filled with support and belief in Harry. They were mainly from former Slytherins, and there were only two D.A. members in there: Neville and Luna. Understandably, they had kept their opinions to themselves, and Harry couldn't blame them for doing what they had to, to survive, but he didn't feel such a connection to them as he did Ron. Harry swore privately to Severus that he would do everything in his power to make sure he deserved such a good friend as Ron, and indicated that he intended to start with offing the bastard who had started all this crap: Voldemort.

He confided the whole Prophecy to the three wizards, and was dismayed to find Dumbledore had _still _been keeping everyone in the dark, even after all these years. One would think he might learn from his mistakes, but apparently not. As he listened to the details of their fairly simple, yet masterful escape plan, Harry silently marvelled, in awe the pure genius and absolute craftiness of his spy and his new Slytherin friend. Ron definitely had a more Slytherin outlook on life these days, and was all for Harry letting the world sort itself out and let them deal with Voldemort without him. After all, what did they ever do for him? When faced with this question, Harry was hard pressed to find an answer. He looked at the three faces in front of him, and gaped like a fish.

"Nothing." He said finally. "They have done nothing for me, ever." He replied. It took a while to shake him out of the shock that particular admission evoked in him.

* * *

The '_Escape from the Order of the Limpdicks Master Plan_´ as Draco had dubbed it after hearing Harry's name for the Order of the Phoenix, was brilliant in its simplicity.

For the last year, Severus had been toting a seamless illusion of a pet Boomslang snake, named Spero. He had taken it _everywhere _with him. It could be seen coiled around his arms, or draped across his shoulders at staff meetings, dinner, lessons…you name it. The snake was so firmly established as an everyday thing, that people barely mentioned it anymore, unless they were speculating about when Snape would chop the poor creature up for potions ingredients.

Spero though, was in fact, the name Severus had given Harry on his completion of the Animagus transformation. It meant 'hope' and though Harry didn't like being the Wizarding World's hope, he rather liked it when Snape referred to him that way.

So, the illusion had everyone believing Professor Snape had a pet snake, which meant that, when Harry left the castle coiled up in the older wizard's robes, no one would think anything of it. And, as a bonus, with Albus incapacitated in the Hospital Wing, there was nobody there to read the wards and see that a transformed Animagus was leaving the school's grounds. It also seemed that Lady Luck, who had been shamelessly neglecting Harry for the last half decade, had returned to his side with a vengeance. Snape already had leave to attend a potions conference tomorrow, and was expected to be away for a fortnight. Hopefully, by the time people stopped and realised he wasn't coming back, they would be well beyond everyone's reach.

Once they had everything packed, there was only one last thing left to do.

* * *

Severus made his way up to Albus' office, having been called there by the Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. He spoke the password and ascended the spiral staircase, forcing his good mood behind his Occlumency shields, determined not to let it show. In point of fact, he felt a spring in his step which had been absent for most of his life. Today he would escape two masters – Dumbledore and Voldemort. The one being almost as bad as the other in his mind.

As he entered the office, he noticed the grave looks on the faces of the assembled staff, and felt a brief pang for Albus' condition. He pushed it aside, secure in the knowledge that old man really had brought it on himself this time. There were no excuses to be made, he had been unforgivably lax in his handling of Harry Potter from day one!

"Everyone, I've brought you here to tell you that Albus had some kind of attack earlier, and has been taken to the Hospital Wing. Poppy says it's too dangerous to move him, and has sent for Healers from St. Mungo's. We asked for their best, but Healer Malfoy and Healer Weasley are on holiday and are unreachable." There were outraged moans and declarations at this and Severus inwardly snorted. He heard a hiss coming from Spero, who was tucked into his robes, and remembered that they still had so much to tell Harry about everything that had happened during his imprisonment, not the least of which was that Ron and Draco were exceptionally gifted healers, hugely sought after by all and sundry.

* * *

Part of what made their work so special, was that theirs was a partnership, and they worked best in tandem. All sorts of ruckus had been raised at the Healer Academy when these two young 'upstarts' had swept through their training as if it were child's play. Severus had been hugely proud when they graduated, and promised to supply them with the best potions and ingredients, when they started their private practice. The boys had agreed that they were too young for such a venture, and currently worked off and on at St. Mungo's, mainly on request.

Minerva eventually re-established order among the unruly staff members, which unfortunately included Hermione Weasley. Despite her protestations while at school that Ron was her 'soul mate', upon graduating, the miraculous and unseemly hasty transfer of her affections to his brother, Percy, had resulted in a rather speedy marriage, and the production of another red headed brat some seven or eight months later. Severus privately thought they were a good match, both stuck up and incredibly pompous, and both unable to think outside the perfect little world they created in their minds, where they were always right, and the rest of the world was stupid for not listening to their advice. Molly Weasley, of course, couldn't be happier that she had another Weasley sprog to gush over. The only benefit of this that Snape could see, was that it distracted her attention from Ron and Draco.

Draco Malfoy had never stepped a single foot inside the Burrow, and never intended to if he could help it. What's more, he told his partner this, in no uncertain terms. Contrary to what Draco had thought, Ron's reaction to his declaration was not the outraged explosion he had been expecting, (for he believed Ron wanted to see his family, in spite of everything they'd done to him), but one of overwhelming gratitude. Draco had given him the perfect excuse to limit his visits, and told his parents that if they wanted to see him, they would have to meet him elsewhere, as the blond did not want them in his home, and he refused to see them _sans _Draco.

The upshot of all this, was that Ron saw them a few times a year, but received numerous nagging letters by owl, full of spite and disapproval. The youngest Weasley son was not intimidated by Molly's hateful missives. Rather, he and his lover read them aloud to their friends over dinner and then everyone vied for the privilege of casting a nice _incendio _on them.

* * *

Once it was firmly established that neither Healer Malfoy or Weasley could be persuaded to tend to the ailing Headmaster, matters were moved on to what they would do now. It was decided that the school should carry on as normal, and Severus' offer to postpone his trip was shot down, not that he was seriously considering it, but he had to maintain appearances. He was told unequivocally, that he should attend the conference, just as he meant to. No word of anything amiss would be allowed to leave the castle grounds, they did not want the Dark Lord to find out any potential weaknesses. After much huffing and sighing, the subject of their impromptu prisoner was brought up. Snape was amused to see it was almost as an afterthought on Minerva's part. Clearly his supposed madness made him more of an irritation than a threat. How short-sighted of her.

"What are we going to do about Potter? Where is he, anyway?" She asked, looking round.

"I had one of the house elves put him in a guest room. There's no change in his condition. I cleaned him up a bit, gave him some healing potions. But he's still catatonic." Snape told them all, and Hermione snorted.

"I don't know why you bothered, Severus. He's not worth your time. Leave him to rot." She simpered at him. The Potions Master pushed down a wave of disgust. She'd been making passes at him since the day she returned to the school, to teach Muggle Studies. He'd told her to back off, and that he did not sleep with married women, but she wouldn't leave him alone. Well, after today, he wouldn't need to worry about her repulsive flirting ever again. Even if he had fancied women, he'd rather sleep with Trelawney than her, yeuch!

The others seemed to agree with Professor Weasley, and they decided to leave him with the house elves. McGonagall asked him to direct her to where Harry was being kept, and after a perfunctory glance at the illusion which Severus was in fact, rather proud of, she turned her nose up at her former student, and walked away.

Severus walked back to the dungeons and his friends as fast as he could, desperately trying not to show any passers by how excited he was. When he entered his rooms, he saw his personal house elves had cleared his rooms of everything, except what had been there when he arrived, nearly two decades ago. He'd expected to feel sad, nostalgic even, but except for a slight twist in his heart, all he felt was joy. He had his dream now, and it was something he would hold onto for all he was worth.

He had freedom.

* * *


	4. If I Could Turn Back Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or anything you recognise.**

**A/N: Apologies for the mix up peeps! Thanks to everyone who pointed it out.**

**PS: This fic is dedicated to DCoD!**

* * *

Chapter Four – If I Could Turn Back Time

* * *

"Misfortune shows those who are not really friends."

**Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)**, _Eudemian Ethics_

* * *

Harry stood with Severus behind him, his arms round the younger man, as the two of them, plus Draco and Ron, looked at their new home. Dobby and Winky were already inside, having insisted on being allowed to arrive early, and get things ready. After long deliberations, which had begun about three years before Harry's 'release', they had decided on New Zealand. Specifically, they were in Nelson. A pocket of paradise in the top northwest corner of the South Island, Nelson had a positive, creative attitude to life – some of which was due to the large wizarding community, a few miles down the road. And definitely something this peculiar little group needed.

The region, which was the sunniest in New Zealand, had for many years attracted residents who love to use their imaginations. There were more than three hundred and fifty working artists and craftspeople living in Nelson, including traditional and contemporary Maori artists. Their work was often inspired by the region's exceptionally beautiful geography – coastal, forest and valley landscapes provided places to wander and dream.

They had decided to settle in the muggle part, wanting to distance themselves from the wizards slightly. All four of them would take on new identities, but would continue in their chosen professions. Ron and Draco had already nosed out the need for talented healers, and had a couple of firm job offers. Severus would never be short of work as a Potions Master, and had researched opportunities for Harry which would allow him to work with animals. For now, he would be a volunteer in the local shelter, but they had promised to train him and allow him access to learn as much as possible about the wildlife and pets they treated on a daily basis.

Looking up at the simple, yet lovely home his friends had acquired, Harry couldn't help thinking about the people left behind in Scotland. He idly wondered what they would make of his and the others' parting gift.

* * *

Minerva sat in her usual chair in the Headmaster's study, while they waited for everyone else to arrive. The whole Order had been summoned, and the members could only speculate what it was about. Severus Snape had disappeared it seemed, and their other spies in the Dark Lord's camp reported that he seemed to be as baffled as they. Healer Malfoy and Healer Weasley were also gone, as were all the people who had been open supporters of Harry Potter. And that led to another issuing that was just as worrying. What had appeared to be the catatonic form of the Boy-Who-Lived, lying prone on his bed, rocking and humming, barely blinking his empty eyes, was nothing more than an illusion. So, in short, they'd lost their prisoner, and all his supporters.

But that didn't explain this meeting. They'd already discussed the disappearances, and drawn no conclusions, just two days ago. So why did he want to meet them now?

* * *

Albus had just about recovered from his shock in Severus quarters, and now was trying to continue under the immense weight of the guilt he felt. His illusions had been stripped away, and he felt terrible. It was conceivable that he was to blame for this entire fiasco, and for all his plans which were now lying in tatters. The whole thing was a great big, bloody shambles. Well, he didn't much feel like shouldering all the blame on his own, and so, acting on pure human nature, he was about to explain everything to the others, and kindly let them share in his misery. He waited for them all to settle, and checked everyone here, before bringing out his discovery.

He'd known that Severus had a hiding place in his quarters, and he knew that the young man was aware that he knew. So, when he had been able, he'd gone straight down to the former Potions teacher's quarters and retrieved what he had a strong suspicion would be waiting for him there. He plonked it down on the desk and waited for the others to notice.

"A Pensieve? What's this about, Albus?" Asked Hermione, looking a bit impatient.

"When I went to Severus' quarters yesterday, this was concealed behind a loose brick in the chimney stack. There was a note with it too." He told the room, and they gazed back, confusedly.

"And? What did it say?" Hermione prompted, a tad waspishly.

"_Clean up your own mess!_" He replied and she frowned at him. The rest of the people in the room started mumbling and Dumbledore held up a hand to silence them. "Please, everyone. I believe this will explain." He declared, and tapped the Pensieve, making a large screen appear so they could all view the memory stored within.

It was Harry, definitely, post-Azkaban, sitting in a chair, arms folded in his lap. Severus Snape appeared, and held up a bottle of what appeared to be Veritaserum. He administered the correct dosage, and they began speaking.

* * *

_"What is your name?" _

_"Harry James Potter" _

_"When were you born?" _

_"_ _The 31st of July, 1980__." _

_"Who are your parents?" _

_"James and Lily Potter." _

_"Did you steal Boomslang skin from my private stores in your second year?" _

_"No." _

_"Who did then?" _

_"Hermione Granger." _

There were a few mutterings at the proceedings so far, and Hermione was flushed with embarrassment, but Dumbledore waved them all to silence.

_"Why did she steal the ingredients?" _

_"To make Polyjuice Potion." _

_"Why did you need the potion?" _

_"So we could impersonate Crabbe and Goyle, and Millicent Bullstrode and access the Slytherin Common Room." _

_"Ah. Why would you wish to do such a thing?" _

_"So we could question Draco Malfoy about the Heir of Slytherin." _

There was a pause in the questioning, while it was recorded that the Veritaserum was indeed working. The rest of the group looked to Hermione, who nodded to confirm that what Harry was saying was actually true. Though it wasn't complete proof, it could still be an elaborate hoax, they also knew Pensieve memories could not be tampered with.

_"Right then Potter. Now we need to confirm you are not lying, and that the serum is indeed working. " _

They watched as Snape, who had not put the bottle away, picked it up and placed three drops in his own mouth and turned to face someone who had just walked within range. There was a gasp in the room as they recognised Healer Draco Malfoy.

_"Professor Snape, why are you helping Harry Potter?" _

_"Because I believe in him." _

_"Why do you believe in him?" _

_"Because he won my loyalty over six years ago." _

_"Are you helping him merely out of loyalty? _

_"No." _

_"What are your other reasons?" _

This was a question he clearly didn't want to answer, but the serum won out in the end, and extracted the truth, just as it should.

_"B-because I l-love him." _

There was no hiding the shocked exclamations in the room this time, and they all had to accept that this memory and the truth drug used were genuine. Severus was simply not that good of an actor, not when it came to his feelings. In every other way, he was the perfect spy, but in this department, everyone knew he was hopelessly inadequate.

_"Thank you Professor." _

Draco administered the antidote, and Snape flushed and coughed, not able to look at Harry right away. Harry still had that glazed, blank look that people had under the serum, and was watching the other two impassively. Draco nudged him, and nodded to Harry.

_"We better get on with it Sev. Time's a-wasting."_ Draco reminded him.

_"Right. Mr Potter, Harry. Did you take up your wand and kill _ _Vernon__, Petunia, and Dudley Dursley?" _Snape asked and Harry blinked.

_"No, I did not." _This revelation was too much for the Order and Dumbledore had to cast a _silencio_ on them so they could watch the rest of it.

_"What happened on the night of _ _the 31st of July, 1996__, your sixteenth birthday?" _

_"The Dursleys were watching television, and I was listening on the stairs. The front door was blasted off its hinges, and Voldemort walked into the house. I was magically bound and brought into the living room, where my family was being held by Deatheaters. I was made to watch while they cursed them, and then Voldemort himself cast the Imperius on _ _Vernon__ and had him rape Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After a while they seemed to lose interest in the cursing and at some signal from Voldemort, they removed the evidence of what they had done. They forced potions down their throats, and then Voldemort raised my wand. He cast the Avada Kedavra on all three of them, and turned back to me." _

_"What did he do to you Harry?" _Severus asked in a gentle voice.

_"He pointed his own wand at me, and said: _"_Let's see how your adoring public views you now, Harry. I think you'll find that 'innocent until proven guilty' is not a sentiment the Wizarding World subscribes to.", then he laughed and stunned me unconscious." _Harry told all of this in a dispassionate voice, the barest glint of pain in his eyes managing to break free of the potion and attest to what he had suffered.

_"After that, I remember waking up in a cell, and an Auror standing in front of me. He too laughed and told me I would get what I deserved. He cast some spell on me, I didn't hear what it was, and I found I couldn't speak at all. I was interrogated for hours, but could not say a word. No one checked me, to find out what was wrong. I was just thrown into prison." _

The potion was wearing off, and all of them could see the distress in Harry's eyes. Severus quickly gave him the antidote, and gathered him into his arms. At this point, the memory cut off abruptly.

* * *

The silence in the room was deafening.

Every single person there was utterly stunned. Some were openly crying. Albus, who had had three weeks recuperation to contemplate Harry's innocence, watched them all without very much sympathy. Especially those closest to the wronged young man, like himself, who should have known better. Predictably, it was Molly Weasley who spoke first.

"Where is he Albus? We must bring him back! He needs us, needs his family!" She declared, and the old wizard repressed a snort. He knew what she had said to the former student when he was taken away, and sincerely doubted Harry thought of her as family in any way.

"I do not know, Molly. However, he is approaching his twenty first birthday, and therefore is under no obligation to make us aware of his location. He is an adult, after all." He replied mildly.

"But… we have to look for him! Tell him we're sorry!" This time it was Sirius Black, who, after having his name cleared, had come clean about his supposed death.

"If you want to look for him, I will not stop you. However, I shall not provide you with any resources." Albus said firmly, and was met with cries of protest.

"Damn it Albus! You must help us! He needs to know we care, that we'll always be there for him." Ah, so Remus Lupin had decided to enter the fray. Dumbledore felt no less blameless than the rest of them, but he did feel slightly less guilt when he realised that he seemed to be one of the few who believed it was best to leave Harry alone. The only one, who did not wish to hypocritically reassure Harry of their care and concern, he knew it was far too late for that. It seemed obvious, that if he wanted to reconcile with them, he would have stayed and done so. No, his departure sent a clear message: _Leave me alone!_

"It seems that now is the best time to play the other memory stored in here." Albus interjected into the outright argument that was brewing in his office. That stopped them all in their tracks, and none of them protested when he tapped the Pensieve once more.

* * *

This time, Harry was reclining in Severus bed, with the Potions Master behind him, Draco and Ron seated at the foot of the bed. Dobby was there too, for once sitting quietly while the five of them talked.

_"So, what will you say, if they come looking for you Harry?" _Came from Ron. The other man smiled and chuckled.

_"Apart from 'Bugger off!' you mean?" _The five of them laughed heartily, and Ron nodded.

_"Well…it's hard to say really. I don't hate them – don't look at me like that!- it's true, I don't hate them. What they did to me, was unforgivable, but it would be far more damaging to me to hold on to all that ill-will. Look at Severus here!" _That earned him and offended 'humph', from the man sitting behind him, and then a fond squeeze.

_"He is right, for once." _The now former teacher admitted.

_"So how _do_ you feel about them?" _Asked Draco. Harry seemed to consider it.

_"It's more…contempt, I guess. I mean, the ones who didn't know me all that well…fair enough. And Mrs Weasley…hmmm…I suppose I could put her actions down to being a mother, wanting to protect her brood, and all that. But still. Dumbledore…don't get me started. I am sure he is savvy enough to know there is nothing left for us to say to each other. Black and Lupin though…" _

There was a long pause.

_"If everything goes to plan, they'll be watching this Harry." _Severus told him, and Harry sighed.

_"I know. Black and Lupin…we're finished. There are no words for me to express how deeply they hurt me. Even more than Hermione or any of the others. I had a suspicion that Granger didn't really give a toss about me. But those two…they convinced me that they cared, really cared. Like…parents would. They promised me once, they would always come for me, that they would always be there. I spent a large part of my first few months in prison wondering why they hadn't tried to break me out, convinced that those horrible things they said to me at the trial were just for show. I even forgave Sirius for letting me think I killed him. But then, I gave up, and gave in. They weren't coming. They really meant what they said…Black thought I was a killer, and Lupin…"_ Here Harry was overcome, and Snape gathered him to his arms, brushing the tears away. Harry continued in a choked voice, sniffing and stumbling his words.

_"L-Lupin told me, he said…he said he wished he could go back in time, so, so that…so that he could tell my mother to have an abortion." _Snape looked appalled and Draco was holding Ron down. Harry wasn't finished though. _"He said I killed my parents, and the world would be a better place if I had never been born." _

That was enough for Ron, and he fought bitterly with his lover to go out and give Remus Lupin what for.

_"NO! Let me up DRACO! I am going to get that fucking werewolf and…" _

_"Please Ron! Forget about him. He is nothing! None of them are!" _This heartfelt plea from Harry had him ceasing his struggles and muttering an apology to his boyfriend, who waved it away.

_"Don't worry about it." _Draco paused before he spoke again. _"You know it's not true, don't you Harry? For I believe this world would be frightful without you, not to mention dull. For one thing, we'd probably all be servants of that horrible halfblood by now, if it weren't for you. Though I suppose that would have its plus points. We'd never have had to speak to the likes of Granger, which cannot be a bad thing!." _He declared, and this got a laugh from everyone. _"I say, fuck 'em all. Not literally of course, you might catch something nasty. Especially from Weaselette."_ He shivered in disgust._ "Let them learn from their mistakes by living with them. We can pop off to pastures new, and never see any of them again. But do be a love and send that delightfully informative missive to the Goblins before we go. OK?" _Harry nodded, and Ron got off the bed.

_"Right people, let's shake a leg!"_ He said with a smile, and Draco rolled his eyes at him.

_"Really Ronald, must you continue to use those horrid muggle phrases?" _

And the memory cut off to the sound of Harry's laughter.


	5. Hindsight is a Beautiful Thing

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter, or anything you recognise. **

**A/N: I wonder why the alert emails aren't going out? Anyway, thanks to everyone who has reviewed, you have been really helpful, especially when I mess things up:)**

**A note about Percy: In chapter one/prologue, it states that Harry's spy visited him in prison and told him Percy was dead. I don't know if I made it clear enough or it was confusing, so sorry if it didn't come across well!**

**Also: I will tell the back story of both romances, and don't worry! There's lots more to come.  
**

* * *

Chapter Five – Hindsight is a Beautiful Thing

* * *

"Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do."

**Voltaire (1694 - 1778) **

* * *

Albus was amazed by the speed at which his office emptied after the end of the last memory in the Pensieve. No one wanted to say anything, as it was clear there was nothing _to _say. People wanted to be alone with their own thoughts, to ruminate on what they had heard, and done. One thing was clear – nobody knew where they would go from here. Even him. 

Fawkes sent a supportive trill, and settled on his companion's shoulder, trying to soothe him. The beautiful scarlet phoenix had long ago made peace with his wizard's nature. Albus Dumbledore was a good man, but he was old. Far older than most people knew, and he had to admit, here and now, that his judgement was faulty, and severely impaired. Especially when it came to Harry. He had thought he was doing the right thing, by sending him to his relatives, but it was obvious now, that was the worst thing he could have done. Sure, he had wanted the young saviour to grow up with an appreciation of both worlds, muggle and wizard, but that could have been achieved by sending him to Andromeda and Ted. The blood protections he and Lily had slaved over at her sister's house, seemed to be largely irrelevant. He resolved to research and find out why they had failed.

Was it because of the ritual after the Triwizard Tournament? Or was it because his relatives hated him, and there was no familial bond between Harry and Petunia? It was something to think on, because he swore to himself, there and then, never to make the same mistakes again. He had let himself get carried away by his position and his accolades, he forgot who he really was. Where was the young man who had wanted to go out and defend the defenceless, the innocent, the helpless? Had he so completely lost himself in his own prestige?

Perhaps, in time, he and Harry could start a new relationship. He was indeed savvy enough to understand that their previous friendship was irreparable, and they could never get it back. For now, he would give the young man his space. With a heavy heart, he set about the business of clearing the former Gryffindor's name, the very least he could do for his sins.

* * *

Molly Weasley was devastated. Even more than when she had found out about Percy. All the more so, because young Harry had said he could understand the way she had behaved. He might be able to excuse her, but she couldn't. Yes, she was a mother, and she wanted to protect her children. But that was no reason to abandon one she had truly thought of as her own, or at least, had said she thought of that way. What kind of a mother did that make her? Why had she not visited him? Tried to establish his guilt herself? Had she really believed that the shy little boy she met at King's Cross all those years ago, a murderer? Had she? 

There was no way to know for sure. She had been so convinced at the time…and Percy had said…She choked, great big sobs rising at the thought of her third son. He had been so convincing…making her trust him, and turning her against Harry. But he was a Deatheater. The way he had spoken of Harry's crimes, made her wonder whether he had been one of the ones who had tortured the Dursley's.

Everything had gone so horribly wrong, and now, without Harry...they were doomed. She gave into her despair, barely noticing when her husband pulled her into his arms.

* * *

Arthur Weasley did not know what to think, or how to react to what he had just heard. Harry was innocent. He'd had his doubts, at first, but then, Molly had been so convinced. He cursed himself for not being a stronger man, for not standing up for what he believed in. And for allowing the rest of the family to make Ronald a pariah. He'd even believed Ginny and all her stories, but now, he saw her for what she really was. A liar and a slut. 

They would take their family in hand, and they would continue, the best way they knew how. It was all they had left.

* * *

Professor Hermione Weasley was angry. Not just angry, furious! How dare that horrid little child come in and make a mockery of everything she had worked for? Since Percy's _unfortunate _death, she had been treated like an angel. The poor grieving wife and mother, so horribly deceived by her friends and her husband, bravely soldiering on in the face of such adversity. And now, that little twerp had to break out of prison and ruin everything! 

Of course she knew he hadn't done it! Harry Potter was so blindingly pathetic and stupid, that he wouldn't have been able to cast a _Wingardium Leviosa _without her help! He would have achieved nothing! And he would have been nothing, if not for the brilliant and vivacious Hermione Weasley, née Granger. Just as he was nothing now. But he had Severus, and she didn't. That was not acceptable.

He would return to Hogwarts. That was inevitable. He was so tied up in his stupid Hero Complex, that he would be able to resist charging in and saving the day, it was only a matter of time. And, when he did, she would make her move. Severus would realise he didn't love that pitiful child, and that a real woman, such as herself, was what he really needed. Even if she had to 'help' him realise it, like she 'helped' the others before.

* * *

Sirius was in a daze. He couldn't understand why he did what he did, or said what he said. He just knew, that at the time, he had felt betrayed. Betrayed by his godson, who clearly didn't care about him, or value their relationship at all. He should have known better. Harry had loved him, loved him like a Father. And not only had he let him believe he was responsible for his death, he had then condemned him like everyone else. Let him go to that…place. An innocent man. Just like him. 

He didn't deserve someone like Harry. He just hoped that, when he died, Lily and James would make it quick. The rational part of him knew that wasn't likely to happen. In fact, the rational part of him was questioning his reaction to everything that had happened with Harry.

Just why had he pretended he was dead? Looking at it right now, it seemed a rather stupid thing to do, particularly hiding it from Harry. That boy had proved time and time again that he was perfectly capable of keeping a secret, especially if its significance was explained to him properly.

So, why had he abandoned his Harry, when he had needed him most?

* * *

Remus Lupin wanted to kill himself. He was the lowest of the low. He had made Harry cry, with the horrible things he said. He couldn't understand it. Why had he done that? When he saw his cub sitting there, repeating what he had said at the trial, he was in shock. Had he really done that? Had he really been that cruel? He searched his memory, trying to recall how he had felt, and why he had lashed out so viciously. He was fiercely protective of those he thought of as his pack, but Harry had been included in that. He sighed and decided a nap might help. The full moon had only been a few days ago, and he was still tired. 

An hour or so later, he sat bolt upright in bed, a shout on his lips. He remembered. All those things he said to Harry…they were awful! But what was worse, was that it didn't make any sense! Why had he turned his back on his cub? His memory was so fuzzy…

He threw his self pity and misery off, and went looking for Sirius. Something was definitely not right here.

* * *

He found Sirius wandering through the corridor which led to his own rooms, and paused to consider him. He looked happy, like he didn't have a care in the world. Remus inwardly sighed, he hoped he hadn't been drinking again. 

"Ah, Moony! I was just looking for you. Isn't it wonderful that that murderer has gone?" He declared, smiling inanely.

"What? Harry's innocent Padfoot! We just saw it, in Dumbledore's Pensieve. Surely you remember that?" Remus objected, eyeing his friend warily.

"Humph! Well, if you believe that rubbish, then you'll believe anything. I mean, really! It was clearly a fabrication of some kind. You just wait until he decides to come back here, then you'll see the truth, you mark my words." Sirius declared, crossing his arms and swaying slightly. Remus sniffed the air, but couldn't smell any alcohol on the other man, and frowned in confusion.

"I…see. Well, would you like to come in and chat for a bit? Not about Harry, just, um, stuff?" The werewolf hedged, wanting to get him out of the hallway and somewhere he could contain him. Something fishy was going on here, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Okay. Say, who do you think will win the Quidditch Cup this year?" Sirius replied, mincing his merry way into Lupin's rooms.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm not sure. Where did you go after the meeting, Siri?" Remus asked, waving the dark haired man into a seat.

"Eh? I…I'm not sure. I think…I went up to the Astronomy Tower, to think. I was…upset. I don't know. My memory's a bit fuzzy. Huh. Weird." Padfoot replied, screwing his face up in concentration. Alarm bells had started to go off in the werewolf's mind, but he didn't let it show on his face.

"Oh, right. And after that?" He prompted, and the frown on the other Marauder's face just deepened.

"Um…I…ooh! I remember! I had tea with Hermione. Such a lovely girl she is, so clever and vivacious." Sirius said with a silly grin. Now Remus was really worried. Most of the time, Sirius couldn't stand the Muggle Studies Professor, at least in private anyway. He thought she and her horrible daughter should have been run out of town years ago. It was a shame really, because though she was only three years old, Emma-Jane Weasley was a terror. A little madam even more annoying than her mother. Remus always refused point-blank when asked to baby-sit, as did Padfoot. He made a decision.

"Padfoot?"

"Hmm?"

"_Stupefy!_"

* * *

"Hi Spero, where's Sev?" Ron asked as he and Draco walked into the kitchen where Harry was sitting, reading the local paper. They placed the bags they were carrying on the worktop, and he got up to investigate what they'd brought back. 

"Nose out Potter!" Draco ordered and Harry pouted.

"Humph! Well, anyway, Sev's in the basement. I asked if he wanted to join me for tea, but he's working on a new variant on the Wolfsbane, and it '_cannot be interrupted at such a critical time'_, apparently. You guys want help with that?" He said, indicating the masses of shopping they seemed to have acquired.

"Yeah, thanks." Ron replied absently, and the three of them unpacked in comfortable silence.

"Actually Harry, how did you win over Severus in the first place? Because, if I remember rightly, he couldn't stand the sight of you at school, and vice versa?" Ron asked, curiously.

"Hmm? Oh right. It was weird, you know? He gave me a detention, on some excuse or another, like for existing or something, and anyway, he told me that, though the concept of me being the wizarding world's only hope was laughable, it did appear to be that way. And, that if I really was the only one who could off Moldy Shorts, that I needed to be way more clued up than I was just then. Though he didn't use quite those words, you understand." Harry explained.

"I don't think Severus has ever said 'clued up' in his life." Draco added nonchalantly. The three of them chuckled, and then headed for the terrace, grabbing some drinks on the way. Harry loved living in Nelson. The area was simply beautiful. The vineyards, the beaches, the boating, the National Parks…it was exceptional. The local people were wonderful and welcoming, and the wizards were far more enlightened than the ones back in the UK. In fact, the muggles were too. His new life here, was shaping up to be nearly everything he'd hoped for.

He worked at the _'Second Chance Animal Shelter' _. It was a non-profit, no kill animal shelter, which aimed to provide a safe haven for unwanted animals and to do their best to match those animals with potential new owners. They also helped owners to keep the pets that they already had. Sometime the owners were having problems training a dog or were going through a stressful and difficult time in their lives and just needed some help or advice or someone to talk to. The last thing anyone wanted, was for people to think their pets were a burden, when they really weren't. Harry absolutely _adored _working there, and gushed endlessly to the others about the pets that were brought in.

"So, what happened next?" Draco asked, referring to '_Spero and Sev, the Early Years'_.

"Hmm? Oh, well, it wasn't exactly _pleasant_, at first. A lot of the arguments and complaints I came to Ron and Granger about were real. He can be an extremely harsh task master, and is unforgiving of weakness, most of the time. And to cap it all off, he was totally unrepentant about the pain he caused me, telling me it was tough and I had to live with it." Ron looked faintly appalled, where Draco merely nodded. Ron gave his partner a sharp look, and the Malfoy heir simply shrugged.

"It sounds like Severus. He treated me the same, on the whole." He explained, and the former Gryffindors raised their eyebrows in surprise.

"Really? I would have thought, with everything, he would have been a bit easier on you than me." Harry declared, and the blond laughed.

"Quite the opposite in fact. I spent some time thinking about it, because, I was confused as well. He admitted that I 'mattered' to him, but yet, he was always so hard on me. It wasn't until I was a bit older, that it actually clicked. He does it, because that is how he shows he cares." Draco said and this time, Harry nodded. Ron was frowning, understanding dawning in his eyes.

"I think I know what you mean. If he cares, then he wants you to be as prepared as you can be, a tough as you can be, so that you'll survive. He has huge amounts of knowledge and experience, and passing them on, training you so you are ready for whatever life throws at you, is the best gift he could ever give you." Ron declared softly. Harry and Draco exchanged looks of mild shock, then Draco smiled, a bright, proud smile, and pecked Ron on the cheek.

"You see, people ask me why I love you, and I tell them, it's because of times like this." There was a pause, while Ron blushed. Draco was still staring at him, his face suddenly serious. "I _do _love you, you know." He said and Ron smiled shyly.

"I know. I love you too." Ron replied, and they lapsed into comfortable silence.

"So, what changed, and when?" This time it was the youngest Weasley who prompted Harry to continue the history.

"Well…I don't know. There wasn't some life changing event, or anything like that. It was…gradual. We just, spent more time together, and though the training was never any less gruelling, we became friends, I guess. As for anything more…I have no idea. I didn't even realise how I felt until I saw him again." Harry explained in a far away voice, as if recalling long forgotten memories.

The three of them jumped at the sound of someone clearing their voice.

"For me as well. I wonder, if you could give us some privacy?" Severus said, looking at the two healers. Ron looked encouragingly at Harry, giving him a sly wink, and Draco just smirked his trademark smirk. Once they were alone, Harry gulped, feeling slightly nervous. Sev frowned, as if he was finding it hard to articulate what he was thinking and feeling. He took the younger man's hands in his own, staring at them, not able to look him in the eyes.

"I realised…you see, the times when I saw you in Azkaban, well, I was so caught up, in our plans and everything, that I didn't really consider anything other than them. And then, when you were out, and lying in my bed. I had time to think, to feel out what was happening, inside. And then I knew. Then there was the Veritaserum…as useful as it was, and as necessary, I believe it brought something to the surface that neither of us were ready to deal with, that we are still not ready, not able, to cope with." His voice was slightly strained, demonstrating the great difficulty he had when trying to cope with emotion, especially his own.

Harry's heart had sunk, his childish insecurities rising to the surface, and reasserting themselves. Of course Severus didn't want to be with him! He was just too much trouble, not worth the hassle. He was a freak! A worthless freak! And he would always be alone. After all, hadn't everyone who ever said they loved him had left him? His parents, Sirius, R-Remus…He started to pull away, and Severus' grip tightened. Harry wasn't having any of it though, and yanked his hands back.

"Thank you for being honest with me." His voice shook, and refused any of his mental commands to be calm or steady. "I understand perfectly, I won't mention this to you again, or subject you to my feelings." He got up, and staggered a little, one hand over his heart.

His health, still not completely recovered from his ordeal, was not bearing well under the sudden stress his feelings were inflicting on it. His lungs, which had become inflamed while in his damp prison cell, had not properly healed, and he suddenly found himself short of breath. He went to walk away, and stumbled. Severus shot out of his seat and caught him before he fell, and held the suffering man close to his chest, one hand rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"Harry, I think you have misunderstood me. I was not trying to say I did not wish to pursue a relationship with you. I meant it when I said I loved you, and I mean it now." He paused, pulling Harry's head up, to stare into his tear filled eyes. "I'm so sorry, I did not intend to distress you, or make you feel unwell. I merely wished to tell you that I thought we should take things slowly, start at the beginning, and have a proper courtship. Do you understand? Would you...would you like to try, with me?" He asked, in a soft voice, one which seemed totally out of sync with his character. Not trusting his own voice, Harry just nodded, joy now evident in his eyes, where before there had only been pain.

"Well then. Let us begin immediately. Would you join me for tea, dear Harry?" Sev extended and arm in a gentlemanly fashion, to which Harry laughed, and took without hesitation.

For a second, it felt like, with that simple gesture, he was taking hold of his future.


	6. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter. **

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate that people are taking the time to read and review this fic. Well, I promised the last chapter wasn't the end, so here's the next one. **

**PS: To Mary – I see your point about Harry, but he will not be the 'girl' in the relationship and will take pains to show his lover that, don't you worry! I'll do my best. **

**This fic is dedicated to DCoD for being wonderful! **

* * *

Chapter Six – Something Wicked This Way Comes

* * *

"Evil when we are in its power is not felt as evil but as a necessity, or even a duty."

**Simone Weil (1909 - 1943)**, _Gravity and Grace, 1947_

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was thumbing through the latest report from Amelia Bones, who was in the process of clearing Harry Potter's name, when the Floo in his office flared, and a frantic Remus Lupin stuck his head through.

"Albus! No time to explain, come down to my rooms, PDQ. Keep it quiet though." He ordered, and then his face disappeared. Dumbledore sat there for a minute, in shock at the usually calm and quiet man's urgency. PDQ – Pretty Damn Quick. That was their informal code to say you should have been there five minutes ago. He sighed and placed the missive from the Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement in his desk, and locked it away. Then he proceeded to make his way down to the werewolf's quarters as fast as his weary legs would take him.

_What on earth could be the matter now?_

* * *

Harry approached his front door, having just finished work, and fumbled for his keys with his free hand. His other was occupied with the bag of takeaway food he had picked up on the way home. He was humming a nameless, tune, feeling better than he had done in years. He still had nightmares, and he still had problems with his breathing occasionally, but Draco and Ron assured him that he would heal in time, and he was confident that he would. They had been worried, at first, about the stress put on his heart by all the emotional upheavals, and that it wouldn't be strong enough while he was recovering from his consumption. But it had been, and he was improving every day, especially under their expert care.

There was only one thing to mar his happy existence just then, and that was Severus. Not that he was having second thoughts about their relationship, far from it, but the man insisted on treating him like a porcelain doll at times, or all the time, in fact. No matter how many times Harry reminded the older man that he was not a girl, and would not break at a little rough treatment (and oh, how he was longing for a little rough treatment) he kept handling Harry as if he was made of glass. And while that could be sweet and endearing at times, it could also be incredibly infuriating.

He put it down to neither of them having that much experience in healthy relationships. Their upbringings had been less than pleasant, to say the least, and their adult lives had been full of crap too, to put it bluntly. After some extended ruminating on the problem, Harry decided that a practical demonstration of how much of a fragile little thing he _wasn't _was in order. Plans were in the works already, and he was pulling out all the stops to make it as memorable as possible. He opened the front door with a smile on his face, his eyes full of anticipation. There would be some teasing to begin with, and then, in a few weeks, The Main Event.

"Hi everyone! I'm home!" He yelled, and closed the door behind him.

* * *

Albus knocked on the door of Remus quarters and waited for him to answer. It seemed like only a few seconds later when the door was flung open, and the werewolf stuck his head out. After a hasty look along the corridor, he unceremoniously yanked the Headmaster into his rooms and shut the door.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows as several locking and privacy charms were thrown up, and he turned to look at his old friend, a question in his eyes.

"I…don't know where to begin. So, I suppose, I should just tell you everything. Um, would you like tea?" He asked, remembering his manners. Albus nodded yes, and sat down on a comfortable armchair.

"Tell me what's troubling you Remus." He said kindly, slightly alarmed by the haggard look on the other man's face.

"Well, it's about Harry. Isn't it always about Harry?" He muttered the last part with a rueful grimace. He sighed and then continued. "After hearing what he thought of us, what I said to him…at the trial. I…well, I just couldn't believe it. It didn't make any sense! I know you understand about werewolves and how we feel about our packs, and, you know, well, it just doesn't add up to me. At all. The pack always comes first, it's my base nature that I cannot deny, unless…something is influencing me." He said with a wary look on his face. He had his suspicions about what was really happening, and he wasn't sure about how big a part, if any, the old man actually played in all this.

The only thing that stopped him thinking that he might have something to do with this, was that it was much more in Dumbledore's interests _not _to have Harry in prison, as he was their only hope against Voldemort. So it would have been illogical for him to take part in a scheme to make everyone think Harry was guilty.

"I…begin to see. Go on with your report." Albus said, his eyes serious all of a sudden. Remus swallowed and began speaking again.

"Right, OK. When I tried to think of what I was feeling, why I said those…_horrible_ things to Harry, I found my memory was fuzzy. It was only after some intense meditation and communing with Moony, that those memories came back to me in a dream, and Albus! _They weren't my feelings!_ Something _else, _was telling me what to think, what to say. It was like someone had planted the belief that Harry was a murderer in my brain, and was making me say those _things. _I would never have, just _left _him there, all alone, with no one to defend him…" Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on the young man's arm, and pushed his untouched tea towards him.

"Now Remus, we will get to the bottom of this. Until then, you must be calm, your guilt, combined with Moony's will drive you over the edge otherwise. Commune with him once more, and reassure him that together you will seek vengeance on the one who betrayed you and forced you to betray your cub. Otherwise you will eat yourself up inside." He declared firmly, and Remus nodded, taking deep breaths.

"There's more, Headmaster. When I worked out what was happening, I went looking for Padfoot. He was meandering down the corridor, looking like he was drunk or something. But then he spouted off some rubbish about how it was good that the 'murderer' was gone. Which was an abrupt departure from the way he had been feeling a couple of hours before. I brought him back here to question him, and discovered he had just been to tea with Hermione Weasley. He then said some more rubbish about how wonderful she was, which made me even more suspicious. You know as well as I do that he can't stand her or her daughter. Well, then he confessed that he was feeling a bit fuzzy, so I stunned him. If she gave him a potion or something, and we take a sample now, we might be able to identify it." He finished, taking a long sip of his tea.

Dumbledore sat back and smiled proudly at one of his most intelligent and shrewd graduates. Remus might appear placid and calm on the surface, forcing many to underestimate him, but his mind moved at lightening speed underneath. He leaned forward, suddenly all business.

"Where is he?"

* * *

Severus sat at the breakfast table, idly reading through his various pieces of correspondence. He could not hide the smug smile which was tugging at the corner of his mouth. Last night had been unbelievable.

Harry had set out to prove to his lover that he was not a girl, and as such, did not need to be treated like one. Sure, he appreciated when Severus was being chivalrous, but he was not a piece of fine china, and would not break at the slightest touch.

Well, Harry had made his point last night. Multiple times. And this morning. Severus ached in places he didn't even realise existed. But it had been worth it, and he was glad the younger man had opened his eyes to the numerous possibilities which could and would be explored between them. Oh, _yes. _

He was stirred out of his rather pleasurable memories, by a letter which had been forwarded to him via the local Potions Guild. The handwriting belonged to someone he had not seen in a very long time: Jason Appleby. He was a likeable fellow, affable and easy going, and surprisingly, despite all this, the two of them had got on like a house on fire. He was the perfect counter to Snape's angry sarcasm, and the former Hogwarts professor had looked on him as fondly, almost as an annoying younger sibling. They had met when they apprenticed under the same master, during the time they were both studying to become Potions Masters themselves.

Sadly, the two of them had lost touch somewhat when Jason had married and started a family, and when Severus had gone to teach at Hogwarts. He wondered why Appleby was contacting him now, so out of the blue. And how did he know where he was? After a moment of thought, he cursed himself for a fool. The letter wasn't even addressed to him.

He pulled out the note from his local colleague, and scanned it quickly. Ah, it seemed Jason had a mystery on his hands, and was stumped. They were looking for a contaminate of some kind in an anonymous sample of blood, and were not making much headway. As such, letters were being sent out to Potions Guilds all over the world, and one just happened to find him here, in sunny New Zealand. Hmm…he toyed with the idea of merely burning it. Jason was resident in England, and he, nor any of the others, wished to have any contact with the British Ministry or its citizens, ever again.

Something like this could draw them back to that unhappy island, and Harry could once more be sucked into their games and manipulations. He set the letter aside for the moment, and reasoned that it would be best discussed between all four of them.

Humming a nameless tune, and cursing himself for it, as it was surely a sign of him going soft, he silently debated with himself, the pros and cons of going for a swim.

* * *

"Anything yet?" Remus asked Albus, as they sat in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, waiting for the rest to arrive for an Order Meeting. They had got there early so that they might talk in private.

"I'm afraid not, my boy. My contact is not making any progress himself, but has assured me he will discover it in time. He has asked for assistance from other masters of his craft, so it is merely a matter of waiting it out." He replied, noticing the frustration on the werewolf's face, and lamenting not being in a position to help him. Not yet anyway. "For now, we must put it to the back of our minds, and speak to no one of it. There must not even be a hint of suspicion. Understood?" He added, and Remus nodded.

"Understood." He confirmed, hoping beyond all hope, that the answer was discovered soon.

* * *

Draco dabbed at his mouth delicately, then threw his napkin on his empty plate. They were dining in a place called _'Harry's Bar' _in Nelson City, which specialised in Asian dishes. They had discovered it in the local version of the _Yellow Pages_, and had laughed at the name. Tonight the four of them had munched their way through Chicken Larb-chicken with lime juice, chilli and fish sauce; Shanghai Noodles with pork mince and brown bean sauce, and Chilli Salt Squid. They were celebrating their one month anniversary of moving to New Zealand.

All of them were glad they had done it. Their new home was gorgeous, and their new lives were something else too. Here, they were so carefree. The darkness was not gone from them, nowhere near. They had all lived with it for too long, for it to be gone so quickly. No, it was more like, here they knew they stood a chance of getting past it, once and for all.

There were no pangs, about leaving their former friends behind. Harry did worry for the children in the school, who would suffer at the hands of the Deatheaters, but he also believed that the Wizarding World in Britain should get off their lazy arses and stop waiting for a saviour, a single person, to put the world to rights for them.

Draco squeezed his lover's hand, and received a rather becoming blush and a smile in return. Ron too, had come on leaps and bounds in the short time they had been there, and Draco could only hope he would continue to improve. He turned back to their friends opposite him, and took a sip of his wine. Placing the glass carefully on the table, he braced himself for the reaction he may be about to receive.

"OK Severus, tell us whatever it is that has had you on edge for the last two days." He declared, and his godfather frowned.

"Whatever do you mean, Draco?" The man silkily replied and Draco scoffed at him.

"That tone ceased to work on me some time ago, Severus. Now, do you not recall that adage? What was it…ah, yes. '_A problem shared is a problem halved.' _Or in this case, quartered." He replied smoothly, and raised his glass at Harry, who was now smirking, intrigued.

"Oh yes, lover. Do tell?" He said, prodding the older man in the side, something he detested. Severus looked between them, and at Weasley's determined face, and sighed, defeated. He lamented the loss of his bastard persona, at least amongst these three, and reminisced for a moment, on the time when he could have silenced such as these with a single look, and sent them running for cover, squeaking like frightened little mice.

_Those were the days..._

"Very well, I received a letter from the local Guild, asking for assistance on a mystery sent to them by a former colleague of mine. It seems some kind of foreign agent has been added to a person's bloodstream, causing a change in their behaviour. I do not know more about it at this time. However, they are having some difficulty in identifying this substance, and have called upon the rest of us to help, as they are often wont to do." He began, pausing to take a sip of his drink.

"Then what's the problem? Sounds like it would be right up your street Sev." Ron declared, and Severus nodded.

"Quite. There is a problem though, the colleague of mine, is Jason Appleby, and he resides in England. I cannot help but wonder, if this will expose us to a particular group of people we would prefer to avoid." He explained, and the other three paused.

"Ah." They murmured, understanding what he was driving at. Harry cocked his head slightly to one side, looking at his lover as he thought about it.

"Will it though? Can you not identify it, and then remain anonymous? After all, even the local Guild does not know you are Severus Snape." Harry said, and his partner considered it. True, when he had contacted the Guild, he had given them that shocking awful name Harry had thought up, on the plane on the way over here: _Tarin Delafuente_. Merlin! He shuddered every time his colleagues called him _Mr Delafuente_! Tarin wasn't _too _bad. Harry had chosen it, he had told him, because it meant 'rescuer' or 'carry to safety'. The _only _good thing about the whole thing, was that Harry had taken the same surname as him, and was now _Spero Delafuente_. He half wondered if anyone said '_Bless you!' _to Harry when he introduced himself.

"True, _Spero_. But as tempting as a new puzzle is, I will not do this if any of you have any reservations. I am not so eager to take this project that I will jeopardise our peaceful co-habitation." Severus told them, and was rewarded with three grins in return.

"I say, go for it." Ron said, and turned to Draco.

"I, as well. It would be a shame to allow this chance of something you love doing pass you by." Draco decided and Ron nodded at him.

"I agree with these two, _Tarin_. This is something you can really sink your teeth into, and someone as brilliant as you needs a challenge. And if it does lead us back to England, well, it'll give us a chance to see if we left the gas on." Harry said, raising his glass. The others raised theirs, and then Ron frowned at Harry.

"You know Spero, there's never a dull moment around you." He declared, his frown changing into another grin.

"Agreed." Said Severus and Draco at the same time.

* * *

Remus was sitting at his desk, trying to decipher some first year essays. They were awful, and their handwriting was even worse. What he wouldn't give to borrow Severus' charmed glasses, which allowed him to read any scrawl, no matter how atrocious. He jumped at the sound of a loud bang going off behind him, and saw Fawkes had appeared behind him with a message.

He silently prayed this was the news they were waiting for. He tore into the parchment with trembling hands, and quickly read its contents.

_Remus, _

_Come to my office immediately. We have an answer from the Guild. _

_Albus. _

He released a breath he didn't know he had been holding, the adrenaline pumping through his body. He rose abruptly, and hastened out of his office, the essays lying forgotten on his desk.

* * *

Harry was sitting peacefully in his favourite chair on the terrace. The sun was out, and it was a beautiful day. He had finished work early, because he had been feeling tired of late, and didn't want to overtax himself. He figured it was the stress of the project Severus was currently working on, and had promised on strict orders from his Healers, to take it easy.

So, he was relaxing with a good book, thinking of taking a snooze, when his lover breezed through the patio doors, excitement evident on his face.

"Spero! I cracked it!" He declared, pulling the younger man out of his chair and spinning him around. Harry just laughed, and wrapped his arms round his partner.

"Congratulations!" Was all he could manage. Suddenly remembering that Harry was supposed to be resting, Severus set him down gently, and got a grateful smile in return. Harry had been starting to feel a bit dizzy. "So, what was it?" He asked, and was slightly worried by the grim expression that now appeared on the Potions Master's face.

"Something very nasty indeed." He replied, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "Have you heard of '_Liquidus Oblivio'?_" He began, and Harry frowned.

"Liquid Oblivion? Nasty stuff. Who's using that? Thought it was banned." This came from Draco, who had just stepped out into the garden, and had heard the last part of Severus' sentence.

"Indeed. As I was just telling Harry, I found out what was in that blood. And it wasn't just the Liquid Oblivion either. You see, that drug was used in the past by people who needed, escape, release. It did exactly as it sounds – put them into a dreamlike bubble where nothing could bother them. The reason it was banned was that it could, and did, induce psychosis in its users." The older man continued, and Draco nodded. The three of them paused to greet Ron, who had just arrived home, and to accept drinks from Dobby and Winky.

"Imagine being in that place – where none of your problems can touch you – and then being thrown back into the real world. The shock, often had disastrous effects on the user. How anyone actually found the formula for the potion, I do not know. But there's more. Whoever did this was very crafty, and extremely ruthless. They cared nothing for the person they administered their horrible cocktail to. For that blood also contained a mixture of ketamine hydrochloride and gamma hydroxybutyric acid. Muggles refer to them as _'Date Rape Drugs'_, and for good reason too. The dosage was small, but combined with the Liquid Oblivion, it would have been enough to make the subject _highly_ suggestible. And, it would ensure that they would have no memory of their encounter with the one who administered it." The other three men paled as they considered the ramifications of Severus discovery.

"So, like an _Imperio _Potion, only worse." Ron put in, and the former teacher nodded.

"Exactly. Much worse. Ketamine, as it is commonly known, can cause hallucinations, memory problems, convulsions, problems with breathing, impaired motor functions, to name a few. Gamma hydroxybutyric acid, or GHB, can cause seizures, vomiting, black outs, and heart problems. I fear what prolonged exposure would do to the subject, even in such small doses, and especially combined with the _Liquidus Oblivio._" He finished, a deep frown etched into his features. The three school friends just sat, there trying to take it all in.

"Could something like this make someone believe a lie? Believe someone to be guilty when they aren't? Make a person turn against their family?" Harry asked in a small voice. Severus looked at him for a long moment, trying not to let his feelings influence his judgement. His lover just smiled at the fierce protectiveness showing in those dark eyes, and waited.

"Yes, it could." He replied, after a long moment. Draco stirred.

"I think then, that you should write to Jason Appleby, and renew your acquaintance with your former colleague, Severus." He said quietly, and Harry nodded.

"Yes, we need to know." He agreed. It could be pure coincidence, but these four had long ago stopped believing in that. Chance rarely came into such things, when powerful wizards like them were involved. On hearing Severus' discovery, the same thought was whirling through all of their minds.

_'Whose blood was that?' _

* * *

Albus felt stirrings of a great fear, as he and Remus read the report from the Potions Guild in Nelson, New Zealand. Apparently, one of their Masters, a Tarin Delafuente, had discovered the substances contained in the preserved blood samples they had taken from Sirius Black, the very day that he had had tea with Hermione Weasley.

It did not look good.

Along with the purely factual report on the chemicals found in the blood, there was also a detailed report on their side-effects, and the symptoms they might trigger. It could be severely damaging to Sirius' health, if not all of them. After all, who knew how many of them had been dosed with the nasty concoction? It was anybody's guess really.

There was one small piece of good news, however. And that was Albus' contact, Jason, had received a letter, from an old friend. And old friend, whom, on assurance of absolute secrecy, was willing to assist them. Remus eyebrows rose as he read the name in the letter, and looked up with a gasp.

"_Severus Snape?_"


	7. I Need to Know

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter. **

**A/N: Please let me state right now - I have NO prejudice about homosexuality. I think that love is love, wherever it comes from, and I truly believe that whoever you want to be with is entirely up to you, as long as you're happy. So please, don't take offence from this chapter. I in _no way_ agree with the opinion expressed here. **

**That aside, thanks for the reviews! I'll try and clear up some of the confusion in this chapter. Ta!**

* * *

Chapter Seven – I Need to Know

* * *

"Destiny has two ways of crushing us -- by refusing our wishes and by fulfilling them."

**Henri Frédéric Amiel (1821 – 1881)**

* * *

Hermione was happily brewing away in the warded airing cupboard, in her quarters, at Hogwarts. Well, _originally _it had been an airing cupboard, but she'd charmed it to suit her needs. She'd had to wrestle with the castle's magic somewhat, in order to set it up, which had confused her at the time. It almost seemed as if it _knew _what she intended to do in there, and refused to obey her. She'd won out in the end though, just as she knew she would. She always did.

She stirred her beautiful cocktail, watching it swirl in all its majestic beauty, as she added the final touches. What a pity she hadn't perfected the formula while Ronald was still within her reach. He would have been hers, then. She could have cured him of his _disgusting _homosexual tendencies, and then they could have made beautiful babies together.

She sighed, as she turned the heat down to let it simmer. Instead of having her Ronald, she'd had to settle for Percy instead. He wasn't ideal, but he had been useful. She'd discovered his Dark Mark by pure chance, during a visit he made to the school on behalf of the Ministry. He'd had something spilled on him during lunch, and the _scourgify_ he'd cast hadn't quite taken care of it. She'd stumbled on him when she'd gone into the boy's bathroom, quite by _accident_ of course, and had laughed at his petty attempts to intimidate her. In short order, she'd had _him _at the end of her wand, begging _her _for mercy. And, _oh_. How utterly _thrilling_ it had been.

From there, they'd made a deal: she wouldn't reveal him, and he would report to her. After she had failed so completely with her plans for the youngest Weasley brother, she decided to change the bargain between her and Percy. She needed the Weasley name to get where she wanted in the Wizarding World, their reputation was second to none, and though she was recognised at Hogwarts, everyone knew the Weasleys – close allies of The Great Albus Dumbledore and staunch fighters for the Light. How little people knew. She felt a fleeting sympathy for those who could not see the world as clearly as she, for those _lesser_ beings who weren't quite as clever or accomplished as she was. It was a shame, poor souls. But that was OK, for they had people like her to lead them, show them the way.

Molly and Arthur had been so pleased by Hermione and Percy's courtship, that he was welcomed back into the family with open arms.

_Fools. _Hermione snorted.

It was her _devoted _husband who had retrieved the formula for the _Liquidus Oblivio _for her. Apparently some Deatheater's tastes ran _very_ wild. And it had been just what she needed. Her first concoction did not have the right touch of _finesse._

She had started off with a variant on the suggestion potion, and mixed it with an adapted _imperio _potion. It had been enough to work on the werewolf and his mutt at the trial, and has also helped others '_see'_ Harry's guilt, and got the little upstart out of the way, but it wasn't suitable for the long term behavioural modification that the rest of her plans required. So, she'd had to go back to the drawing board, so to speak.

It had taken a while for her to get the mix right, and she daily congratulated herself on her genius. Surely no one was as brilliant as her, as to think of combining muggle and magical ingredients? So now she had it, the perfect little potion, to make the world fall at her feet and worship her like the queen she truly was. And she had such a lovely name for it too: _Hermione's Diamonds. _

* * *

Something ticked in her eye, and she flinched as an unwelcome thought surfaced. It was strange, only a fleeting moment. Like a memory or a feeling…almost like panic, or someone screaming. But it seemed to be coming from inside _herself. S_he ruthlessly squashed it and forcefully directed her thoughts back to where they belonged.

* * *

Things had been going swimmingly for a while and then Percy, stupid fool, had started to grow a conscience.

His Master was not who he thought he was, and his wife and daughter did not seem to live up to his expectations or ideals. He had believed that Voldemort had the way of it, by wanting to bring some order into the supposed chaos of the wizarding world. Well, Hermione agreed with the sentiment, only it was not Voldemort who would bring order, it was her. So, to ensure the safety of her plans, she'd had to kill him. She had not been able to take the risk, that now he was turning against his Master, he would reveal too much of what he knew about her if he was questioned under Veritaserum. She had managed to catch him before he went to the Aurors.

It was easy enough to do, a simple application of the _Cruciatus_, to make it look like he'd displeased his Lord, and then a nice clean _Avada Kedavra. _She left him out where he and his lovely tattoo could be discovered, and then went cheerily about the rest of her day.

* * *

That had been a mere six months ago, and until now, things had been going swimmingly. Severus was still treating her like she didn't exist, but she had believed she had the time to sway him, or at least, find a way to _alter _his perceptions. She had not known he was one of _them. A queer. _But she could cure him, just like she would have cured Ronald. After all, everyone knew that those _people _were unnatural and unclean. So, a healthy application of her invention and some instructive _care,_ and he would have been thanking her from saving him from his devious nature.

But now he was gone, and with Potter too. No doubt by design. She had suspicions that he may have been to see the brat in prison. She lamented dearly that he always guarded everything he ingested very closely, it was the way of a spy, Hermione supposed. Well, they would be back, and they had no idea how she would able to _help _them. After all, no one knew of her _Diamonds_, and not even Potter was immune to its delicious effects!

"Mummy, I'm scared! I had a bad dream…" This mumbled plea came from her daughter. Hermione cursed and turned an angry face on the useless thing.

"Mummy is busy Emma! Go back to your room!" She shouted and the child whimpered, disappearing quickly. The widowed witch returned to her potion, and smiled brightly at the concoction. Ah, it was ready. Her smile widened, and if anyone had been there to witness it, they would have been chilled to the bone by the maniacal glint in her eyes.

* * *

Remus and Albus were still poring over the letter from Jason Appleby they'd received earlier that day.

"So, what does Severus say? Where is he? Is Harry with him?" Remus demanded and Albus sighed.

"I don't know. Here, let me read it to you, and you can see for yourself." Albus cleared his throat, and began his recitation.

* * *

"_Old Friend, _

_I heard of your appeal through the Guild, as despite my current circumstances, I have retained my ties to our mutual profession and friends. It does not do to bury one's head in the sand completely. _

_Delafuente is a muggleborn, and we met at one of those infernal conferences they insist on having every year. I believe it was some time ago now. I cannot recall exactly when. Nevertheless, he, as you well know, published the results of his recent findings throughout the community, and though his ingenious work has correctly identified the nature of this new potion, he has admitted that he is at a loss when it comes to the creation of a counter. _

_I confess that I was intrigued when I read the report, and am also honest enough to not belie the temptation and thrill such a puzzle as this represents for me. However, I am also aware, that this affair is not entirely scientific. The ripples such a discovery creates are far reaching, and even I cannot see them all. _

_I wonder, Jason, where that blood sample came from. _

_Do you remember when we were discussing the existence of fate? Do you recall, what our master told us? 'Man does not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.' I believe that the threads which connect me to those I once knew, are not severed. Nay, they bind me - we are not finished with each other yet. Therefore, forward my correspondence to whoever commissioned this study. I have very little doubt about who that is. _

_Tell him, if he wishes to have my help, he can have it, but I must know whose blood it was first. _

_A representative will contact him in due course, and instruct him on how to reach me. I believe he will be discussing other matters at the same time._

_And, if he is reading this, let him take this as a warning: I have never suffered fools gladly, and am not about to start doing so. _

_Give my love to Almudena and the children, _

_Yours, _

_Severus. T. Snape" _

* * *

Albus set the letter down on his desk, and took a deep breath. Severus clearly had not lost his touch, though he'd only been gone a little over a month. Dumbledore seriously considered turning the offer down. Could he live with himself, if he brought them back here? Expose them to the world which failed them so many times? Yes, Severus was the best, but…

He _had _to say yes. Harry must be with Severus, and they _needed _Harry. Harry was the only one who could fight Voldemort. Perhaps, when they returned, he might find a way to separate the two…find a safe place to stow the boy, where he could control him. Hmm…that idea had _possibilities_.

Remus watched the expression on the old man's face with growing horror.

Oh how he wished he could warn them not to come back! It was too dangerous here. Maybe he could speak to this '_representative_' of theirs and tell him to inform them to stay well away. He wanted to make peace with Harry, to show him that he had not abandoned him…but that could wait. This was more important!

Instead of easing his mind, as he thought it would, the letter had made it ten times worse. Moony howled within him at the danger he had inadvertently brought to his cub, and his mind worked feverishly, trying to think of ways to spring this trap before it caught them unawares.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Ron and Harry were sitting on the beach, enjoying the sunshine. They had pulled up two sun loungers. Comfortably reclining under a wicker parasol, they sipped cocktails, (though Ron complained that the umbrellas and 'stuff' made it look a bit '_girly'_), and reminisced about the crazy stuff they used to get up to together at Hogwarts.

Before the trial.

Before things got uncommonly complicated.

Harry was still marvelling that his best friend had supported him, when so many had turned their backs on him. It was a blessing in more ways than one. Besides the fact that he was his first friend, it also reminded him not to take people at face value.

There was a lot more to Ron than first met the eye. Sure he could be brash, reckless and often downright belligerent. But he also had a complex understanding of humanity and its pain, both the physical and the mental, hence why he was such a gifted healer. But it was his partnership with Draco which made him truly spectacular.

Pre-Azkaban, Harry would never had believed Ron had it in him to so completely forgive a person, or even give someone like the person Draco had been a chance. He would have thought he was far too set in his ways, even for such a young man. Well, when Harry had been locked away, he was a mere boy too. The realisation he'd voiced in Severus' chambers at Hogwarts returned to him, as they were sitting there, watching the people playing on the beach.

_Ron had been just as much in prison as he had. Only his bars were invisible. _

"What happened to our dreams Ron? Do you even remember what they were?" Harry said sadly, half to himself, not taking his eyes off the gently rolling waves.

"Hmm? I don't know Harry. I think they were something to do with Quidditch. That and Firewhisky." Ron replied, and the two of them chuckled lightly.

"I guess we were simple guys huh? So what happened to our dreams mate? All the things we wanted to do. All the hopes and aspirations we had. All those possibilities." Harry said quietly.

"I'm not sure. I guess we grew up, or something." The redhead returned, a pensive frown on his face. "That or someone killed them, I suppose. And we both know who that is." Ron added, and Harry sighed.

"Reckon so. But do we really? I mean, do we know who it was who killed our dreams? Lately, things have become…blurred. Even more than before…so many twists and turns…plans within plans…it's all so tricky…so twisted…and it's like…" Harry took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, but it didn't seem to do any good. Ron immediately recognised the danger signs, and sat up slowly, not wanting to startle his friend who seemed to be on the edge of a panic attack. Harry covered his face with his hands, almost like he was trying to shut out the world. Like, if he couldn't see anyone, then no one could see him.

"Harry…" Ron began slowly, but he was interrupted by the dark haired man sucking in a sharp breath.

"First they betray me, and throw m-me in _t-there_…now it looks like they might not…that they might…" His voice faltered, and the other man took this as his chance to act.

"We don't know anything right now. But we _will _get to the bottom of it. The four of us, together. Do you understand? Nod if you do." He instructed in a calm, but firm voice. The familiarity and quiet assurance helped sooth the ex-convict, and he slowly relaxed the tension in his body. He soaked up Ron's words like balm and nodded his head.

"Good Harry. Now, here is what we're going to do, we're going to go back to the house, so we can get changed. I don't know about you, but I've been sweating like a pig out here, and I need a shower. Then, we're going to sit down with Severus and Draco, and we're going to make plans about how to keep ourselves safe, OK? Nod here if this is alright." Once more, Harry nodded, all the while forcing himself to breathe in the pattern the two healers had taught him. If he let the black panic which threatened him at times take over, the strain on his lungs and his heart could have disastrous effects. Ron hadn't stopped talking though.

"We'll go back and sort out this mess in England, as it seems that lot are incapable of knowing their arses from their elbows, kill the dipshit, and then come back here to our home. Then after that, I think we need to look at those dreams of ours. I hear the local Quidditch team is a joke, and needs something special to break their twenty six year losing streak. What do you say, hmm?" He said with a jaunty smile. Harry moved his hands away from his face, and returned the smile wholeheartedly.

"My friend, it sounds like a plan." He replied.

There was a pause.

"Twenty six years? What have they got on their team? Grannies?" Harry suddenly demanded, and then both men snorted and burst out laughing.

* * *

As the two Gryffindors walked into the house through the back door, Harry laughing at Ron's Oliver Wood impression, they were suddenly struck by the cold atmosphere in the room, and the expressions on the faces of their two Slytherins. They both stopped a moment to take in the scene before them.

Both men were sitting opposite each other at the kitchen table, a discarded piece of parchment lying between them. They both looked decidedly grim. So intent on staring at the letter or whatever it was, neither of them noticed their partners entering for a few moments.

"Er, guys?" Harry said tentatively. Severus and Draco jumped, and whipped round, wands out. Ron and Harry backed off instinctively and held up their hands.

"Crikey!" The redhead exclaimed, glancing at Harry briefly and exchanging a worried look.

"Um, we come in peace!" The young saviour declared, half jokingly and half serious. By now the two Slytherin's brains had had a chance to catch up with themselves, and they relaxed back into their seats, tucking their wands away.

"Very funny Harry." Severus muttered with a sneer. Ron frowned and took a step towards his long time friend, almost as if he was trying to shield him from the Potions Master. Having spent so many years facing that sneer over the potions classroom at Hogwarts, the Gryffindor's reaction was practically instinctive.

"What the fuck is going on with you two? And why are you suddenly looking at us like we're the enemy?" He demanded, glaring at his partner and the former Professor in equal measure. Draco's face had also adopted its patented Slytherin mask, and neither of the two men who'd just arrived home liked it. Not one bit.

Harry, who had only minutes before managed to draw himself back from the black panic, felt it creeping into his consciousness once more. Ever since the request had arrived from Jason Appleby, he'd felt the tendrils of his destiny reach out and claw their way back into his body, reminding him that he would never be free of it. He didn't know why he'd agreed to let Severus take on that project, he supposed it was more because he knew his lover wanted to do it, and not because he thought it was good idea.

What an idiot he was, for not voicing his concerns! Now, they would go back…back to face all of them. And they would probably try and take him away again, and lock him up…lock him up _there…_

"Look Weasley, now is not the time for theatrics! We've just had an important letter, and…" Draco began harshly, but Ron interrupted him.

"Weasley? Oh, so we're back to that now are we Malfoy? And who is this 'important' letter from, hmm? Some of your precious pals back in England? What? I'm not good enough for you all of a sudden? That why you pulled our wand on us?" The angry man shot back, though real hurt was evident on his face. Draco bit back a furious retort, but was on his feet, silently snarling at his boyfriend.

"Don't be an idiot Ron! That's not what this is about!" He declared. Severus too, was focused on Ron, who was spitting with rage by now. Unfortunately, he was doing too good a job of shielding Harry, who was still so much smaller than him, and so no one noticed how he was holding his hands over his ears, rocking back and forward on his feet, mumbling "No, no, no, no, no…." Over and over again under his breath.

The three men were totally oblivious to their friend's plight, and while they shouted back and forth, Harry slowly worsened.

Rationally, he knew what was wrong with his friends. None of them wanted to return to England, yet none of them were able to just turn their backs. And though they hadn't let any hint of their location be leaked into their communications, Albus was a canny fellow. What Draco and Severus knew at this point, having read that letter, was that this affair was directly connected to Hogwarts, and everything they had run away from.

They were scared. Plain and simple. Harry knew that, and could read it easily in their faces.

But the rational part of his mind was losing the argument with the rest of his brain, and was inexorably being pushed farther and father away, until he was a jumbled mess of nerves and emotion, not able to think, only to feel. And he was terrified.

Images of his time in prison flashed before his eyes. He could feel the cold of the Dementors as they had feasted on him, just after he was thrown in his cell.

As the voices rose to a pitch where he felt like he was being deafened, other memories surfaced. .

The pain of every curse he'd witnessed Voldemort inflict on his Deatheaters revisited him, and he collapsed to the floor. His body started to convulse, and he could not stop the agonised scream which escaped his lips.


	8. Into Mine Eyes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or anything else you may recognise.**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait peeps, but I've been trying to upload this chapter since Saturday night and the document manager was not co-operating. So anyway, here you go!**

* * *

Chapter Eight – Into Mine Eyes

* * *

"I am convinced that it is not the fear of death, of our lives ending that haunts our sleep so much as the fear ... that as far as the world is concerned, we might as well never have lived."

**Rabbi Harold Kushner **

* * *

The effect was instantaneous. 

All three men stopped their arguing and turned to the sound of Harry's screams. His voice was filled with such intense despair that they felt it deep within their bones. As one, they rushed over to him, to try and rouse him, wake him from his vision or whatever it was. To try and do anything they could to help him.

Severus reached him first, but when he placed a hand on Harry's skin, the young man flinched and tried to get away from him. Snape withdrew his hand as if burned and stumbled back a few steps. He exchanged an incredulous look with Draco, his eyes tinged with hurt. The Malfoy heir was saddened to see the mask his mentor had worn for so many years, shunt back into place. He only watched the Potions Master for a minute, before turning his eyes back to the screaming man on the floor.

The moments stretched into minutes.

His cries gradually grew softer, though none of them were sure as to whether this meant what he was seeing had stopped, or whether he had simply screamed himself hoarse. They had a sneaking suspicion it was the latter.

Ron ignored the other two, intent on his friend. He was cursing himself mentally as a million times a fool for forgetting about Harry's recent attack, and allowing himself to be drawn into a stupid and pointless argument. It had felt good to rant and rave, letting some of the tension which had held him for the last weeks vent itself. But he should have realised doing something like that with his suffering friend around would only lead to disaster.

And now, it _had_.

_Merlin!_ He felt like some rank first year at the Healer's Academy, causing his patients more harm than good. Well, he had to fix this, before it got any worse and Harry tore his own eyes out. He made a quick assessment and realised he was going to need help. Turning sharply, his gaze fell on Draco and Severus.

"Don't just bloody stand there!" He said firmly to the two Slytherins who were hovering rather stupidly. Snape looked pissed off and Draco seemed to be in shock. "Oh for fuck's sake!" Ron muttered and snapped his fingers.

Dobby and Winky popped in immediately and before they could speak, Ron was already issuing orders.

"Right, now we need Harry's bed prepared, and put a warming charm on it. He'll also need a hot drink and something to eat when this has passed, and a change of clothes. Better make it pyjamas, as he'll be wrung out like a rag doll afterwards. Oh, and make the food something simple, nothing too rich or spicy…soup's probably best. OK?" He delivered these instructions in a calm and soothing voice, worried that if given a chance, the two elves would go into a panic attack of their own at the sight of their _Harry-Potter-Sir_ in this condition. They popped away to take care of the items he requested, and Ron sighed. Turning back to his friend, he was surprised to see Draco seemed to have snapped out of whatever stupor he had been in, and was kneeling opposite him on the other side of Harry, scanning him.

He was making sure not to touch him, and using as little magic as possible. Ron waited patiently, and absently noticed Severus had begun to pace the length of the kitchen. Silently he wondered why someone so accomplished was allowing himself to be hurt by the actions of a delirious man, and decided now was not the time for the overgrown bat to indulge in his own version of histrionics.

"Snape, _grow up!_ He's not in his right mind, or else he would never have flinched away from you like that. Stop pacing and get us some bloody potions. Draco?" He looked up at his partner who was analysing the results of his scan.

"He seems to be embroiled in a memory invoked vision or hallucination. He has suffered numerous bouts of the Cruciatus Curse, and it's causing his body to shut down." There was a pause and then the blonde's face blanched. "Fuck! He's going into neurogenic shock! We've have to get him out of his vision _NOW_!" Draco cursed loud and long, before casting a spell to temporarily control the muscle in his blood vessels, until they could get the correct fluids into him. The potions normally used in such situations would be useless until then.

* * *

In short order, they had him levitated, stripped, and tucked into his bed. Severus had retrieved the potions they needed, but had set them aside for now. Draco and Ron were employing a muggle method to treat Harry's shock, and had set up a magical drip which was feeding his body a combination of saline and dopamine. This was necessary, as though the potions would cure the shock, whatever vision or memory he was lodged in would probably only bring it about once more. When he was lucid, they could give him the required medications. Until then, the drip would help keep his condition stable, and make sure he did not deteriorate any further. 

"Right then, what are going to do?" Draco addressed the other two, who were haphazardly slumped in chairs, either side of Harry's bed. The young man in question was very pale, and his hair was stuck to his head with sweat. Severus ached to comfort him, but was too scared to touch him after what had happened earlier. He knew what needed to be done, but would Harry let him? In that frightened subconscious of his, which seemed to be in control right now, did Harry trust him enough?

"Legilimency. But not me." He said simply, grimacing at the floor, not wanting to meet the eyes of the younger men.

"Hmm. You're right. But I really don't think you should set too much by this Sev…" Draco began, but his old confidante and mentor waved his words away.

"I'm not." He lied, not wanting to get into this conversation right now. Especially not with these two. The rational part of his brain realised he was acting like an idiot, but the scared, hurt boy who was a product of his upbringing, was telling him to hide, to protect himself. He had never really managed to completely overcome that facet of his personality and the fears which accompanied that side of himself were very much in control right then.

"I'll do it." Ventured Ron wearily, and the two Slytherins nodded, neither one surprised by his offer or doubting his abilities.

* * *

The War being what it was, some people needed their healers to go a step further than normal, and Draco and Ron had been hailed as miracle workers for their treatments of torture victims. At great personal risk, the two of them actually entered the minds of their patients and helped to heal them from within. Some time ago, Severus had instructed the two of them on Legilimency and Occlumency, and while neither of them was quite as gifted as he, they were sufficiently adept for medical purposes. . 

The three of them shared a private joke at the time, about how many people would be amazed to see Ronald Weasley mastering something like Occlumency. True enough, when his and his partner's talents had been revealed during their Mediwizard training, there had been frequent exclamations of shock and disbelief that someone who was clearly mentally deficient as Ron could ever accomplish so much. He had been initially hurt by the comments, but steeled himself and kept the thought in his head that the people who mattered knew the truth, and that was all that was important to him.

* * *

Just as Ron was preparing to enter Harry's mind, he unexpectedly found himself with an armful of Malfoy. 

"Be careful, okay? And about before…I'm sorry." He murmured and Ron smiled, a true, bright smile, full of warmth and affection. It was a rare thing indeed for Draco Malfoy to apologise, to _anyone_. It reminded him of how, though extremely surprising when he first discovered he had feelings for this beautiful young man, his love was not misplaced.

"I will, and you're forgiven, of course. Let's sort our Spero out, and then we can deal with whatever was in that letter between the four of us, alright?" He replied and it was as much for his former professor's benefit as it was for his love. Draco nodded, after a minute, so did Severus. Ron drew in a deep breath, and released it slowly. Gently sitting on the bed, he drew Harry's face towards him, softly coaxing him to open his eyes, and then whispering.

"_Legilimens."_

* * *

Ron found himself stood on a plain. 

The ground beneath his feet was dark and grey and the skies above his head were being torn apart by a vicious storm. He could hear rolls of thunder, and see the flashes of lightening. His face was being battered by the rain, and he shivered, feeling the cold right down to his toes.

This was Harry's mind, but he had brought some of himself here. That gave him some small measure of control over his surrounding, and as such, he could make changes. He concentrated for a moment, and soon he was surrounded by a thick woollen cloak. It helped a little with the chill which was now trying to seep into his bones. He looked around, but couldn't see his friend anywhere near. A path meandered its way ahead of him, weaving between outcroppings of oddly twisted rock. It seemed to be the only way forward, literally.

He braced himself for whatever was to come, already whatever Harry was trapped in was far more complex than anything he had ever experienced before, and he wasn't sure if he should pull out and take more time to prepare.

Another flash of lightening and the wind buffeted him once more, seeming to carry with it the sound of a far off scream. He knew then that he _had_ to continue, there was no turning back now. Tentatively he reached towards the part of his mind which belonged to Draco, and sought reassurance. The path ahead of him looked dark and was filling him with a deep sense of foreboding, and he admitted to himself that he was afraid of what horrors could be ahead.

Immediately as he had connected to his partner, he felt a waved of love and protectiveness wash over him and fill him with its power.

He took a step forward.

* * *

_"Freak…worthless child…scarhead…never amount to anything…if there's something wrong with the bitch…MURDERER…life in Azkaban…nobody…should have died…KILLER…FREAK…you're nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing…watch the world abandon you POTTER!" _

Ron had passed one of the outcroppings and had been struck by the insults and shouts that seemed to appear from nowhere. Greatly disturbed, he hurried forwards, fear seeming to settle into his heart once more as he saw the road ahead.

_It went on forever! _

He began running, but it seemed to just keep going on, and on, and on. He stopped, leaning forwards and resting his hands on his legs, trying to catch his breath.

"_Going to cry for your parents now Potter…aww widdle Potty lost his doggy…gonna cry now? Gonna cry now? GONNA CRY NOW?" _

"NOOO!" Ron shouted unable to stop himself. He heard a whimpering off to his left, which seemed to be coming from behind the craggy rock. He cautiously made his way round and gasped at the sight before him. It was Harry, huddled on the wet stones, curled into a tight ball, rolling from side to side on the hard ground.

"No, no, no, no, no…" He was mumbling, and Ron tried to edge closer, not wanting to startle him. "No more, no more, please, no more…_PLEASE!" _He wailed, and the redhead felt his heart break.

"Harry…" He murmured, reaching out a hand. As his fingers brushed the other man's skin, he felt something slam into him, and suddenly his head was invaded with hundreds of images. He tried to focus as they flashed before his eyes, trying to see what they were, make sense of them somehow. But he was losing the battle, they were going to fast, and he began to feel overwhelmed. He slumped to the ground, unable to hold himself upright under the violence of the onslaught. Pain flashed through his skull, and he surrendered.

* * *

Harry, a toddler, being beaten. 

Harry, still a little boy, being cursed.

Harry being taunted, by his family, by his friends, by _everyone_.

Harry being starved.

Harry having the Cruciatus cast on him again, and again, and _again_…

Ron tried to shut his eyes, knowing that it was futile, and that these horrific images were in his mind, and what was worse, was that they were real. Not nightmares like other people had, but _memories. _It really hit him, for the first time, just what his best friend's life had been like. He didn't really understand, until now. He'd know academically about the abuse and the torment, but he couldn't really wrap his mind around it, the idea was so foreign to one such as he. And though his family had treated him like dirt the last few years, it was nothing compared to this.

The images faded somewhat, and he began to think he might have reached the end of whatever this was.

Then there was one more.

Harry sitting in his cell, in Azkaban.

A ragged wreck of a man, convulsing on the floor as a Dementor stood outside, its scaly hand holding the hatch of the door open so it could watch the effect it was having on the inmate.

Harry, in that cell, lying on the floor, exhausted after coughing for what felt like hours, not even blinking at the fresh blood on the ground, or on the hand he had covered his mouth with.

Harry, in that cell, praying and _wishing _with all his strength for it all to just end.

* * *

Eventually, they stopped completely, and he groaned, hauling himself to his knees. 

_Pain. _

Every muscle in his body ached and his joints felt like those of an old man, not a twenty one year old. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. He sat back on his haunches when he saw Harry nearby watching him, calmly. He then started as he took in his surroundings, noticing that the dark plain was gone, and that they were sat in a glen of some kind, the ground beneath them carpeted with wild heather.

"You saw." His best friend said, and Ron simply nodded.

"I did."

"So, you know, then."

"I do."

"You _understand._" And that last part was whispered, in something close to joy.

"I suppose so." Harry launched himself at his friend, and pulled him into a desperate embrace, longing for comfort from one who had _seen _what his life had been like. Someone who really _knew. _

That his lover had lived a similar kind of life was a source of both distress and comfort, but yet, for Ron, the man who he'd always thought of as a brother, for him to know and to understand, was an immense source of _relief. _After a while, he pulled away, and they were both flushed with typical masculine embarrassment.

"So, um, how come you're in my mind?" Harry asked, rather belatedly and with a sheepish expression. Ron chuckled softly at the look on his friend's face, but became serious as he began to explain.

"You went into a panic earlier, but it was worse than all of the others. You were slipping into shock, and seemed to be stuck in some kind of vision or hallucination. After we examined you, we decided the best thing would be to try and break you out of whatever memories or nightmares your mind had trapped itself in. Easiest way to do that was to come in here." He said waving his arm round to indicate their surroundings.

"Oh, I see. I remember you and Draco mentioning something about Legilimency." He paused for a moment. "What about Severus? Is he OK?" The dark haired man wanted to know. Ron winced a little and tried to cover it, poorly. "What is it?" Harry demanded.

"Well, when you first went into your fit, or whatever, he tried to touch you and you flinched away. He took it pretty bad." He admitted and the other man hummed.

"Hmm. Well, he's not the most secure person in the world, and our relationship is still so new…I think we'll be alright. I'll make it up to him. Did I flinch at you too?" He asked and the redhead nodded.

"Yeah, well, Draco didn't even try and touch you, and when I turned your head towards me so I could open your eyes, you hissed and tried to pull away at first." He said and Harry nodded, a distant look on his face.

"Right, well." He stood, offering a hand to his best friend. "I guess we'd better wake up." Ron saw the look on Harry's face and decided to try and cheer him up a bit, and so, he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Guess so…hey, don't be sad, it's _carnivale!_" Ron replied, shaking his hips a little and Harry laughed.

"Dude, you watch too much of the Simpsons." He admonished and Ron sniffed, pretending for a moment to be offended, before exchanging a look with Harry that made both of them laugh. Since discovering televisions, and more importantly, DVD's, Ron had also discovered a passion for anything involving the yellow skinned family. No one was really sure if it was a good thing or not, but the debate was still open.

* * *

Draco and Severus waited impatiently, fidgeting in their chairs as they watched the two silent men. Neither of them moved for what seemed like hours, and, after a while, Severus snapped. 

"Why is it taking so bloody long?" He demanded, not really expecting an answer. He wasn't surprised, therefore, when Draco merely raised one eyebrow at him, and then turned back to watch his lover and his best friend.

The minutes stretched into each other, until neither of the two Slytherins knew how long they'd been waiting, and watching. But gradually, in small increments, the pained expression seemed to fade from the young saviour's face, as it also did with Ron. Soon both of them were smiling, and their lovers leaned forwards, almost holding their breath as the two on the bed opened their eyes. Both blinked at the light for a few seconds, though the youngest Weasley son didn't get much of a chance to see anything before he was swept up into Draco's arms.

Harry raised a hand to his throbbing head, frowning at the tube which seemed to be attached to his arm. His voice was still hoarse from the screaming, but there was no mistaking the croaked, "Severus?"

The older man held himself back for a few seconds, the self preserving Slytherin in him telling him to put the former Gryffindor at a distance now, so he wouldn't have to suffer through being rejected once more.

"Severus?" Harry whispered this time, his voice full of distressed pleading. The Potions Master was standing near the door outwardly appearing all implacable resolve. Inwardly, he was quaking – afraid of putting himself out there, afraid of his own feelings.

Harry's condition was going downhill rapidly, as each moment passed and his partner was not there, holding him in his arms. The corners of his eyes filled with tears, and his vision blurred. His emotions weren't exactly stable just then, what with the trauma his body had recently suffered, and was still suffering. As such, he was nowhere near capable of dealing with this rejection now. He scolded himself, trying to push the hurt away and telling himself to be strong, that he didn't need the older man and he would be fine on his own. It was only small part which believed this, the rest of him knew he would not be OK, and was longing to slip away into unconsciousness.

How had they fallen back, so far, from yesterday? Sure, things weren't perfect, but on the road to healing, they were already a goodly way along. Now it seemed as though they were back at the start, without passing Go and without collecting two hundred pounds. He sniffed at the analogy his brain provided but also admitted it was rather apt.

He was so inexperienced with relationships, he wasn't sure what he could do or say, to fix this. He knew he had told Ron he would make it up to Severus, but at this moment, he didn't really know how.

So, he asked the only question he could think of, intent to get to the bottom of whatever had suddenly come and poisoned their previously happy home.

"What the fuck was in that fucking letter?"


	9. Letters from Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or anything that you recognise. **

**A/N: Hello Peeps! I somehow felt inspired to write this early, having got myself out of a slump. Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them. Um, this chapter has only been proof read once, but I'm on some weird pain killers and it's half past one in the morning over here...so I thought I should just get on with it and post it.**

**This fic is dedicated to DCoD for being wonderful! Thanks!**

* * *

Chapter Nine – Letters From Home

* * *

"Eat a third and drink a third and leave the remaining third of your stomach empty. Then, when you get angry, there will be sufficient room for your rage."

**Babylonian Talmud**, _tractate Gittin_

* * *

_Dear Sirs, _

_As instructed, the funds which were taken unlawfully from the Mr Potter's vaults have been retrieved. The bank was the unfortunate host to a number of inconvenienced persons once these actions were made known, however our securities team found the exercise amusing and beneficial (for training purposes of course). _

_On the matter of the inherited Black Family vaults, the Ministry has ruled in favour of Mr Potter. A curious matter, is that Mr Sirius Black, formerly believed to be deceased, first protested the ruling, then withdrew his protest, and has now reinstated his protest, by applying for an appeal. As such, we are afraid that those accounts remain frozen at this time. I assume this will not disturb Mr Potter greatly as he has previously mentioned he does not need nor want the money. _

_With regards to the testimony of Mr Potter, witnessed by the bank's representative and certified by Gringott's, this has been submitted to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and a full pardon has been extended to Mr Potter, along with monetary compensation which is detailed in the statement included with this missive. _

_We have also included other letters delivered to us and a report from your direct account manager. _

_As always, the bank extends its fondest regards to its favourite customers and honoured friends. If there is anything else we can do, please let us know. _

_Kind Regards,_

_Ragnok_

_Head of Gringott's Wizarding Bank, Chief of the Goblin Nation_

* * *

_Dear Mr Potter, Mr Snape, Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy, _

_I am writing to report on the tasks I have undertaken at your behest. As instructed, the documents were submitted to Amelia Bones, along with the proofs of the testimony. I do not at this time know what her department plans to do with the evidence on the other matters, but I believe my chief has already advised you of Mr Potter's pardon. _

_As for the offer submitted to Albus Dumbledore, he asks that you contact him to arrange your return to _ _England__ as soon as possible. He said he 'requires' your assistance as soon as possible. I must report that this was said in the manner of an order, not a polite request. I have included a letter he has asked me to forward to you. _

_What was curious, was that after speaking with the Headmaster, I was accosted by an agitated werewolf in human form, (I believe you are acquainted with him). He foisted the additional letter I have enclosed with your statements on me, and ran away before I could question him further. I have scanned it and it does not seem to hold any hostile enchantments, it should therefore be safe to read. _

_I hope this is all satisfactory to you sirs, please advise me if your require anything else, _

_Griphook_

_Senior Account Manager_

* * *

Harry put down the sheets which had accompanied the parchment Draco and Severus had been poring over earlier, pointedly ignoring the letter from the Headmaster. As for Remus' note…now he knew what it was, he was loath to read it. He handed the letter from Griphook to Ron, who had already finished reading the one from Ragnok, and stared fixedly at Remus' correspondence. If it had upset the other two so severely, did he really want to read it now? Couldn't he ask them to just summarise it for him?

The pain of his betrayal at Remus' hands was still raw, even after five years.

He had looked up to the quiet man more than anyone, even Sirius. He had been his rock, his guide, and his protector. He just didn't know what to do. All the strain was making him weary, and he raised a hand to his face, glad that the drip had been removed. The potions he had ingested were making him sleepy as they repaired the damage done to his body. He knew he wouldn't be able to rest, though, until he read it, the morbid curiosity was too much for him. He raised his eyes to look at his companions, trying to work out what he should do.

He looked first at Draco, who seemed torn between his customary impassivity and a very real concern. He eyed the letter in Harry's lap, and merely shrugged. A quick glance at Ron showed him to be staring at Griphook's report. He sighed, and looked down at the bed again. Dobby entered quietly with Winky, which was surprising enough in itself, and the two house elves stopped beside their master's bed.

"Harry Potter is sad, Dobby isn't liking this." The little guy said, shuffling his feet a little and pulling on one ear. Winking piped up at that point, her eyes wide and her face clearly unhappy.

"Master is sick! Master should be resting!" She ordered imperiously in her sweet, childish voice. Harry smiled and patted his two devoted elf friends.

"I will rest very soon, don't you worry about it. Thank you for your concern, Dobby, Winky." He nodding at them, and after a few wailing notes, they popped out of his bedroom. Harry leaned back on the pillows which were propping him up, and closed his eyes for a minute. The elves entrance reminded him of just how exhausted he was. A rustling noise drew his attention, and he looked up in dismay to see Severus leaving the room. He fought hard against the lump in his throat and the tears which seemed to suddenly gather in the corner of his eyes.

He was so tired! So wrung out, why did this have to happen now? He wallowed silently in his sorrow for a few moments, before something happened, something…unexpected.

A spark of something flared inside him, and as if someone had switched on a light, the hurt was gone and replaced with righteous anger. Harry fished his newly made wand up from the beside table and pointed it at his throat, and before anyone could stop him, he muttered a spell.

"_Sonorous. _Severus Snape! If you do not get your sarcastic, belligerent, crabby, irascible, acrimonious arse back in this room RIGHT NOW, and STOP behaving like a petulant, recalcitrant CHILD…I will personally come and find you and give you the spanking of your LIFE! DO YOU HEAR ME?" He screeched, and his magically magnified voice echoed off every single wall of their home.

* * *

By the time Harry's short speech was over, Draco and Ron had long since taken cover together in the corner, and were holding their hands over their ears. Neither of them wanted to be in the line of fire when Harry's legendary temper was being let loose. It seemed he took after Lily Potter in more ways than just his eyes, if stories about her ferocity were anything to go by.

After a while, things seemed to go quiet and the two men dared a quick look about the room. Harry was kneeling on his bed, wand still in hand, and glaring the door opposite, which seemed to be open. Unfortunately they were on the other side of it, and so couldn't see if the testy Potions Master was standing there or not. They exchanged half excited, half startled looks with each other, the drama of the moment having sent the adrenaline rushing through their veins. A non spoken agreement seemed to pass between the two lovers, and as one, they got up and dashed towards the door. After a startled glance at the former professor who was in fact in the doorway, standing still as a statue, they brushed past him, and headed towards the back garden.

Once they were safely there, the two of them breathed deep sighs of relief, and sat down on the swing seat together, enjoying the closeness after the stress of the last twenty four hours.

A muffled snort broke the silence, and Ron turned a curious face to his partner, the question evident in his eyes. Draco merely raised one elegant brow and smiled.

"Did Harry swallow a thesaurus?" He asked and Ron chuckled. "Hey! I'm serious. Can he even spell half those words, apt as they are?" He added and the redhead decided the best way to silence his twitting was with his lips.

* * *

While the two long time lovers were reacquainting themselves in the garden, Severus was still staring at a seething Harry.

Never before had the young man looked so animated, so alive. As if every nerve ending was on fire and he was blazing before him. He was so _angry. _And though Severus _knew _it was his fault, and that Harry was perfectly justified…in a way, he was pleased. Harry was aglow with passion and power. It was the first time he'd ever seen him that way, _ever. _Oh sure, the times they had spent in each others arms, exploring their bodies with hands and tongues, Harry had been passionate. But the haunting sadness was still there, even when groaning under his lover, flushed with arousal and lust. The pain was still there, and Severus could see it in his eyes.

At school, the young man, who had only been a boy then, carried the weight of the world on his slender shoulders, and it showed. It was there in everything he did. Sure, he had a temper, even then, but it had mainly been a reactive thing. He had never once stood up and demanded what he wanted, the way he was doing now.

In the past, he would simply accept the bad treatment of others, believing he deserved it or could do nothing about it, either way, he had simply carried on. There would be the odd occasion, when Severus had been in full voice, berating the boy over something in his classroom, when there would be a spark of what he was seeing now, but it would only be a flash that would die almost as soon as it appeared. And as the years progressed, it became less and less frequent. For the last few months of his fifth year, Severus would scowl and snipe at Harry in lessons, the way he always had done, and his heart had broken to see the teenager's fire wink out. His shoulders merely slumped under the weight of the insults as he accepted them. Even the knowledge that Severus was _his _spy, and that this was an act, didn't appear to make any difference, and the saviour of the wizarding world had sunk even further into his despair.

But _now_…now, he was _different. _

That was all gone, burned away in this righteous fury. Harry was like a phoenix, reborn from the ashes left behind by the inferno of his wrath, and he was beautiful. Severus merely stood there, gazing at the young man in awe and love. This was _his _lover, _his _future, and he forced himself to step past his fears, leaving them behind in the dust.

* * *

Something of what his partner was feeling was playing across his face, and Harry watched the normally guarded man as he came to his own conclusions and understood what was happening here, between them.

He knew what he wanted, and he was going to take it, and by damn, if the man didn't like it, then tough!

A satisfied smile broke out across his lips as he noticed that his lover seemed to grasp the reality of their situation and reacted accordingly. He held his wand up to his throat and mumbled the counter spell. Then, throwing his wand aside, he stepped off the bed and strode purposefully over to his lover. Stopping in front of the taller man, he didn't break eye contact as he extended a hand and swung the door shut behind him, Severus moving mechanically out of the way. Once that was done, they simply stared at each other for a while.

"You were hurt." Harry broke the silence. "I'm sorry." He added and Severus blinked.

"As am I. I fear we must cease trying to second guess each other, and simply talk things out, explain when we need something, or feel something…" There was a pause. "A rather foreign concept for one such as I, but I'm willing to try." He said softly with a shy smile, reaching out a hand to cup the side of his young lover's face. Harry moaned and leaned into the touch, needing it badly. His eyes fluttered closed and he allowed himself to feel the pleasure from the gentle contact, the passion burning beneath his skin flaring up once more from where he'd hastily quashed it a moment ago. He forced it down a second time, and opened his eyes.

"I think that sounds like a fine idea, but we have to allow ourselves the time, and something tells me that with that letter, we may not have that luxury right now." He replied and Severus frowned. Before he could say anything, Harry pulled on his hand and led him to the bed he's so recently vacated. He made Snape take off his shoes and robes, and then arranged the two of them, so that the older man was seated behind him, and he was leaning back against his chest, taking comfort in his warm embrace.

"This isn't quite what I thought you had in mind." The former teacher grumbled and Harry chuckled.

"Oh, don't you worry, I intend to get down and dirty with you _dearest, _but first, _we have to read that sodding letter!"_ He practically hissed the last part and fished out the crumpled parchment from the bedding. Relaxing against the broad torso behind him again, he smoothed it out, and began reading.

* * *

_Dear Harry, _

_(And Severus, Ron and Draco if you're there), _

_If you are reading this then your Goblin friend has passed it on to you as I asked. I know I am stating the obvious, but this is such a difficult letter to write, that I really don't know where to begin, or how to articulate what I am trying to say. So suppose I should just get on with it. _

_Well, I imagine that wherever you are, Severus is most likely with you, even the Headmaster has surmised as much. I was very surprised by the confession of Severus' feelings for you, but find myself inordinately pleased that the two of you have found each other. I and others have wronged both of you terribly, but I am glad that you are not letting it ruin your lives, and that you are really living. Oh, that didn't come out right! It's more of a feeling and as I said earlier, extremely difficult to put into words. I had better get back to the facts. _

_The blood sample was from Sirius, just after he had just had tea with Hermione Weasley. I found him wandering the halls in a daze, and took him back to my rooms for safety. Once there, I questioned him and his answers made me worry. So, I stunned him and summoned Albus. I'm now not sure if that was such a good idea or not, though his contacts with the Potions Guild have helped immensely in solving the mystery of what Sirius was dosed with. _

_You see for a while now, Moony has been rebelling against me, and I didn't really understand why. Why did I say those things to you? Why was my behaviour so off? I don't know if you're aware, but I have been studying alternative methods of controlling my transformation which have led me quite by accident into a way of communing with the wolf inside me. I can't tell you how wonderful it is, how it feels…I digress. For some time now, as I say, he has been almost reprimanding me, and it was only after seeing those Pensieve memories that I realised what I had done. It took some time, but between Moony and I, we discovered that I had been influenced to behave that way, and it was only the fact that I was a werewolf which allowed me to deduce this, having some natural resistance to the chemicals which had been used. _

_I am sure you could have discovered this yourself, in fact you have probably worked it out before now, and, no doubt Albus has also already informed you of the identity of the source of that sample. My reason for writing is this: a warning. Do not come back to _ _England__! Avoid it at all costs! _

_Albus, who seemed to accept your departure and wishes to be left alone at first, has now started to scheme once more. He plans to separate you from Severus when you return and stash you somewhere until the Final _ _Battle__, where I suspect he would like you to go down in blaze of glory and take Voldemort with you. I do not know if this is down to him, or whether he has been dosed, or both. Is it really necessary to come back here to create an antidote? If it is, then you must find some way to stop yourselves from being separated, because despite everything, I know you Harry. And that means I know that if you are taken away from your love, you will not survive. _

_I am sorry for everything I said, even if I was under someone else's control. Those horrible things, are not true, not one single world. Harry, you are a blessing. You always have been, and you always will be. James and Lily loved you, hell, practically every person you have ever met has loved you in one way or another. You are so special, I don't think I have ever met anyone quite like you, with such a big heart, with so much humanity. _

_Lily used to say, that you were her gift from God, and instead of cringing at such sentiment, (as James usually did), he would just smile and agree with her. _

_You were the best thing that ever happened to them, and every day you are alive, is a day the world gets a little bit brighter._

_All Our Love,_

_Remus and Moony._

* * *


	10. Visiting Rights

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or anything else you recognise. **

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it. And thanks to Shaldana Blackwater** **who pointed out the error in chapter one with regards to '_Who wants to be a Millionaire?'. _I had forgotten that its first episode was in September 1998 on ITV1, and that this story is set before then. My apologies. I hope that it is a minor error and doesn't detract from the story as a whole. **

**Sorry about the delay in this chapter, but I've had a very nasty virus and am still in recovery. Anyway, enough from me, on with the story! NB: This has only been proof read once, so sorry for the grammatical and spelling errors. **

* * *

Chapter Ten - Visiting Rights

* * *

"The shaft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the eagle's own plumes. We often give our enemies the means of our own destruction."

**Aesop (620 BC - 560 BC)**, _The Eagle and the Arrow_

* * *

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I have no clue what we're supposed to do now. This whole thing is one big, complicated fuck-up in my opinion." Ron stated clearly as he leaned back in his chair, tossing his napkin on the table and crossing his arms. The other three blinked at him in minor shock at the sound of his voice. He'd just broken an almost half hour long, _uncomfortable _silence between them.

A few days had passed since Harry's 'episode' and the receipt of Remus Lupin's letter. And none of them were any closer to deciding what they should do. Never had a choice been so difficult for any of them, and never was the 'right thing to do' so clouded over, so mired in shades of grey. Their home was shrouded in a permanent atmosphere of tension. Each member of their little family was tiptoeing round the others, not wanting to get their head bitten off or worse. They were currently eating dinner at '_Harry's Bar' _in Nelson City, which had been a suggestion of Draco's, as a way of taking their minds off things. It really wasn't working though, and the aura of contention which had been so polluting their home, had followed them here.

Ron's words were met with silence, and, after another long moment, Harry quietly placed his knife and fork on his plate. Dabbing his face with his napkin, he also leaned back in his chair, and picked up his glass of wine.

"I know what you mean Ron. Things are pretty messy, aren't they? We've all been mooching around the house, avoiding each other, and not really being honest with ourselves, or anyone else, for that matter." He said, glancing at all three of his friends. He paused, taking a sip, and then leant forward slightly. "I've been going over and over this in my head, and, I believe we should all say how we really feel about this, what we _personally _think is the right thing to do – for ourselves and our own consciences, and then find a way to make it work. Some compromise or something. All this walking on eggshells around each other has just made things worse, much worse. What d'you reckon?" He said, looking round hopefully. A few frowns were directed his way, before Draco sighed.

"I believe…I don't know actually. I love it here. I really do, this place feels like home more than England ever did, or could, I think. But part of me feels like we left something behind, you know?" He said, and his lover nodded.

"I agree. Like, unfinished business." He concurred.

"Exactly!" Draco murmured, and the two darker haired men opposite them slowly nodded, though neither looked very happy at the admission.

"I too see what you are referring to. I believe I should make my position clear. For purely pragmatic and practical reasons, the research and production of an antidote to the vile substance I discovered would be entirely more efficacious, if we returned to England. However, such a move would greatly increase the risk to our own safety." He began and Harry grimaced.

"Can't make an antidote if you're dead." He interjected and Snape raised his eyebrows.

"Indeed." He replied and raised his glass briefly. "We may take additional precautions, such as bringing our own house elves, and testing everything we ingest prior to consumption, etcetera. Nevertheless, this only marginalises one avenue of attack, and possibly, from only one individual." He added and the other three snorted. A deep sigh was heard from Harry, who raised weary eyes to look at his partner and friends.

"Dumbledore. I don't see why he can't just leave me alone. I'm not a child any longer, nor am I his student. What right does he think he has to control my life in such a way? Why does he feel the need to lock me up somewhere, and then trot me out at what he deems the right time? Does he not trust me? I knew, even on the way over here, that we would have to go back, eventually. We all said Voldemort was not something we would ignore. I could not live with myself if I left all those people to die, however much I think some of them deserve it. I had hoped we would have more time, time to heal. I know we have to go back, it is inevitable…but…oh, I just don't know." He finished his little rant with a bleak smile, which was mirrored on the faces of the others. A few seconds passed though, and Draco seemed to snap out of it.

"OK, so we have to go back. That doesn't mean we have to stay there indefinitely. We can return here when it's all finished, and live our lives the way we want to. Between the four of us, we wield no small amount of power - and not just magically, but both politically and publicly as well. If we really wanted, we could have the whole wizarding world eating out of our hands!" He declared and the two former Gryffindors looked confused for a moment. Severus however, was just as Slytherin as his godson and had immediately caught on to what he was implying.

"Why Draco, I knew all those years of training had not gone to waste! You are absolutely correct. There is no reason why we must return with the proverbial tail between our legs, nor must we submit to Albus." By this time the other two had 'seen the light' as it were, and were both smiling too. Draco was almost bouncing in his seat with anticipation, and turned to signal the waiter.

"Can we have the bill please?"

* * *

"What's the first thing we need?" Harry asked, as they all sat in comfortable chairs around the fireplace in their spacious living room. He and his lover were cuddling on the sofa, though he doubted the potions master would ever admit to cuddling if questioned. Harry himself was feeling a lot more positive since leaving the restaurant. With new purpose, they seemed to have thrown off their earlier depression, and a light had appeared back into the eyes of all four of them. He was inordinately pleased with this turn of events, and only hoped that this good feeling would last.

"Information." Severus and Draco said at the same time, each scowling at the other for stealing his line. Neither Ron nor Harry thought it was a good idea to tell them that their glares were identical too. Call it a sense of self preservation; Gryffindors had it some of the time.

"We need someone who is on the spot, and not just right now. Someone who has been there all along." Draco mused, and here Snape's glare intensified, reminding his former pupils of their potions lessons back in the 'good old days.'

"We need the werewolf, _sans _the mutt." He said in a bitingly cold voice. Clearly, he had not reconciled with his boyhood tormentors, and it was unlikely he ever would.

* * *

He was actually surprised that Harry didn't expect him to get all chummy with his father's friends. He had queried him on that very subject around the beginning of their friendship, and Harry had laughed.

"Have they apologised?" The then boy had asked, nothing but honest curiosity evident on his face.

"Well, no…" Snape had admitted, frowning, wondering where this was going. Though, he did recall that the young man had had more than his fair share of bullying as a child, and so could empathise more than the average person.

"There you are then." Harry had replied, and the subject was dropped and never reopened.

* * *

He was jerked back into the present by a sharp elbow jabbing into his side. He _humphed_, offended, and turned a mild sneer on the owner of said bony – and decidedly pointy – elbow.

"That hurt!" He complained and Harry scoffed.

"Yeah, right. Pay attention." He muttered, and then snickered at his older lover's almost pout. It didn't last long though, as the four of them were suddenly all business. Snape cleared his throat to deliver his verdict.

"Remus Lupin is the best placed person, and is in fact, aside from the Goblins, the _only_ person in Britain we can even _slightly_ trust. He is the only choice. Naturally though, we can't go to him, so…" Severus was interrupted by the man at his side.

"He'll have to come here." Harry finished and the others nodded.

"It's a risk." Ron said.

"Very true. But if we play it right, it's a calculated risk." Draco said, and rested his chin on one hand. "Give him a portkey, make it a note or something, with a '_For your eyes only_' charm. Get it to drop him in the back garden, and key the wards so that if anyone other than him arrives, they'll get tossed out." He expanded and the two younger men nodded thoughtfully.

"Polyjuice?" Snape argued and Draco shrugged.

"As I said, a calculated risk. I take it that if someone polyjuiced Lupin, they'd get everything, warts, lycanthropy and all?" He said, half to himself. His godfather frowned, thinking hard for a moment.

"No…no, they wouldn't. Not the lycanthropy, at any rate. 'Moony' really is, for all intents and purposes, akin to another person, within Lupin. He has a mind of his own, and a definite personality, if somewhat bestial and primitive. To polyjuice both of them at the same time would be impossible. You would need a hair from each, and although a combination of the two would undoubtedly induce a transformation, the appearance would not correspond to Lupin outside of the full moon. Thus making it useless" He explained, and Draco smiled.

"Even better." Draco said, and Harry chimed in.

"So, we can set the wards to detect lycanthropy in the visitor, and have them spit the person out if they don't pass?" He said and the other three nodded.

"Well then, that to me Ladies and Gents, sounds like a plan!" Ron said, raising his mug of tea in a toast.

"Who are you calling a lady Weasley?" Severus questioned, and then laughed lightly along with the others when the young man blushed and quailed a little bit.

Old habits die hard, after all.

* * *

_Dear Remus, _

_Thank you for your letter. I will admit that it was a great shock, and was met with a variety of reactions at this end. But I believe you are speaking the truth, and am grateful to you, for taking the trouble to contact me and relay your suspicions. Please inform Moony of how much it means to me that he thinks of me as his pack, and let him know that I regard him as kin as well. _

_Where we go from here is somewhat shrouded in shadow Remus. We none of us are sure what the next step should be, and we need your help again. I will not go into any of the particulars right now. A unanimous vote has decided the best thing to do would be for you to come here, and speak to us, face to face. I am aware that it is half-term in a matter of days, and that it is the norm for you to leave the castle at that time. Therefore, your absence will not be unduly noted. _

_Attached to this letter is a portkey, which will carry you to my current location. It is charmed for you and you only, if anyone else tries to use it, or tag along with you, they will meet a rather sticky end. I trust you will endeavour to avoid this. _

_I hope to see you soon, _

_Harry _

* * *

Remus read the letter a couple of times, searching for any kind of clue about Harry's state of mind, whether he really believed him, or forgave him at all. He was still in a state of shock at having received any reply at all, it had been a long shot after all. He looked high and low, but there was nothing to find. The letter was polite, but distant. Apart from the expression of gratitude, there wasn't much more to it than that. But he was asking him to come and see him, surely that meant something?

Should he go? Could this be another dirty trick on behalf of whoever had set him up?

Aware of his own failings, he kept locked in his heart the hope that this young man, whom he looked on as almost his own, would forgive him. Even if he had been under some potion, or mind control, it would not be that easy to let go, and move on. He didn't have any illusions about the reality of the situation. As far as his pseudo-godson was concerned, he was in the enemy's camp. Though this letter might have placed him in no-man's land instead. Despite all that however, he knew he was doing the right thing.

Sure, the world might wax and wane in its support of Harry, and, Fate had placed a terrible burden on his slim shoulders, which at times, seemed like it would break his back. Nevertheless, he was a good man, the kind that don't come around very often. As much as it pained him, and as imperfect as he knew himself to be, Remus would help as much as he could, because it was the right thing to do. Of all the people mixed up in this mess, Harry was the innocent. The blameless one. And probably the most reluctant leader or receiver of accolades.

So he would go, he would take this portkey on blind faith, and accept whatever occurred at the other end as his just deserts.

* * *

Harry paced nervously back and forth across the patio in their back garden, trying not to think about the visitor who was due to arrive in a few hours. Draco and Ron had tried to get him to relax, but it was a fruitless exercise. Severus pointed out that it had been more than five years since Harry had spoken with him, and despite the letters, their last conversation was less than pleasant, and rather one sided. After hearing that, the other two realised that they just had to let their friend handle this in his own way and be done with it.

Harry's mind was abuzz with doubts and questions. Was he doing the right thing? Had he brought disaster on himself and his friends? Should they go back to England? If they did, how would they cope? With Dumbledore, the Order, the Death Eaters...let alone Voldemort and whoever was poisoning people. One thought was swirling through his head as he ruminated on his problems, spinning around, and invading everything. It was as if it was the thread which held everything together, and yet led on to so many other things.

"_What is the power the Dark Lord knows not? Is it love? Or was that just something Dumbledore used to control me? Playing on my need for love and comfort. Bastard. Why didn't he fight for me? He should have been there, fighting tooth and nail to prove that I'm not a murderer! Were all of our conversations one sided? Did he even listen to anything I said? How could he, and not know me well enough to know I could never do such a thing?" _

Harry sighed, sitting down on the side of the decking, his bare feet resting in the sun warmed grass. He covered his face with his hands, trying to cover his reaction to such strong emotions. He was overwhelmed with regret and sadness, but anger was also seeping in as well. He didn't want to cry, he didn't! But he couldn't help it. His body needed to let these feelings out. The taunts and hurtful words which had followed him throughout his short life were just there, in the back of his mind, like an echo or something.

"_Cry baby, cry baby, cry baby...what's the matter widdle potter? Gonna cry now? Cry baby, cry baby..."_

_"_Harry?" Came a deep voice, shaking him from his painful introspection. He turned a tearful face to the sound of the voice he knew so well, and just stared.

Severus felt a pang in his chest when he saw the tell-tale redness around his lover's eyes, and the stains on his cheeks. He might not be the most demonstrative man in the world, but he was not a totally insensitive idiot. And somehow, he felt in tune with Harry, especially at times like this, when they were under extreme stress. Knowing that the younger man didn't like being smothered, he sat down next to him and offered an arm, not saying a word. He could recognise the mute appeal in those exquisite green eyes, and he knew sweet nothings were _not _what Harry wanted or needed just now. Which was good, because such utterings were definitely not his forte.

It only took a few seconds before Severus suddenly had his arms full of a distraught Harry Potter. He just held him close, trying to project his feelings of love and acceptance into the mind and the heart of the troubled young man, in the hope that he could feel and understand what he was saying without words. After a while, Harry's tears subsided, and he raised his head.

"Thanks." He said in a clear, calm voice.

"Anytime." Was all Severus replied.

* * *

Dobby, who appeared to be able to sense when Harry wasn't feeling very well, popped into the back garden and started badgering him into drinking some kind of hot drink. By the smell of the steam, the potions master suspected there may be some kind of calming agent mixed in, as he got a definite whiff of chamomile. Knowing he was fighting a losing battle, Harry eventually gave in, and took a long sip from the large mug. Dobby, satisfied, popped away, presumably back to the kitchen.

When they had first moved in, Dobby and Winky were in awe of the modern kitchen and all its muggle accoutrements. They could be seen poring over user manuals for hours on end until they figured out how everything worked. It was now their base of operations however, and woe betide any who tried to invade their domain! They took their duties very seriously, and delighted in looking after every member of their bizarre little family to the best of their considerable abilities.

Now suitably calmed and collected, Harry and Severus made idle small talk while they waited for the other two to return home from the clinic. Try as they might, they had been unable to get the afternoon off from work. Word of their healing talents had spread like wildfire among the local community, both magical and muggle. As such, in a short space of time, they had been swamped, and their working day was backed up with patients.

"Sorry we're late! How much time do we have?" Ron said it all in a rush as he practically burst out onto the patio, dropping his satchel and light robe over a nearby chair, and plonked himself down on the other side of Harry.

"Now worries mate! We've got a little while yet. Um, Draco?" He replied, looking over his shoulder.

"Right here, Harry." The blond replied, exiting the house with a great deal more decorum than his fiery lover. He smiled at his three friends, and then something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. "Tsk! Really Ronald, must you continue to dispose of your things in such a haphazard fashion?" He declared, picking up his bonded's bag and robes, folding the latter and stowing them carefully on a sideboard, fussing all the while. Normally Ron would tease his partner for such fastidiousness, but not today. He knew this was one of the ways Draco dealt with nerves, and, truth be told, he rather enjoyed the blonde's fussing and attention.

After acquiring some light refreshments and a cushion for his delicate tushy, Draco joined the others on the edge of the decking. There was silence for a moment, and then all four of them counted down under their breaths, staring fixedly at the prearranged spot their visitor would materialise in.

"Five, four, three, two, one…"

There was a flash as the wards permitted the magical entrance of their visitor and then silence. A man appeared, his robes slightly shabby and his hair with grey streaks in it. He seemed a little flustered and out of sorts, and had his back to them at present.

He quickly turned around when he heard, "Hello Remus."


	11. Old Times

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter. **

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I tried to make this one a bit longer, as suggested by SeulWolfe. This one is about double the length of the last one, I hope that's OK. Thanks to everyone for your support, any/all constructive criticisms are welcome. This has only been proof read once, so, as always, apologies for the errors. **

* * *

Chapter Eleven – Old Times

* * *

"I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."

**Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)**

* * *

"H-Harry? Is that…really you?" Remus said, taking rapid steps towards his best friend's son. His stride faltered when Harry began to back away, a slight look of apprehension and panic in his eyes. Remus abruptly stopped advancing. "Harry, I…" He looked down, his face ashamed. There was silence as the four nearest the house merely looked at the werewolf, not interfering.

"R-Rem-mus…" Harry almost choked on the word, his voice seeming to come from far away.

The other three were silent, watching as the tense moments ticked past. Draco and Ron didn't know what to say or do, they felt, in some way, that they were intruding, and kept darting glances between the man on the lawn, and their two friends. Only their firm promise earlier in the day _not_ to leave Harry kept them there amid such tension.

Severus too was at a bit of a loss, not being at all fond of confrontations of this kind. They made him feel out of place and edgy, and far too frequently became the prelude to histrionics or hysterics. He much preferred to stay in the background, safely tucked away from any stray hormones or airborne crockery. But this meeting was unavoidable. So, he merely waited, a comforting presence next to his partner, his hand on Harry's shoulder as a reminder of his support.

"H-Harry!" This time there was no mistaking the turbulent emotions behind that cry, and for a moment, Harry could almost forget everything that had gone before and imagine this was what it appeared to be on the surface: a long belated reunion between loved ones or family. He took one step towards his father's friend, Severus close behind him. Remus was his last connection to his parents, despite the fact that Sirius was still alive. He had considered the two of them and the parts they had played in his life up till now. Even knowing what he did about the potions, Sirius had faked his own at least a month before that. And how long had he been planning such actions? Was it just a spur of the moment thing? Harry didn't think so. So, Remus was all he had left, of that old life, with its forgotten hopes and dusty dreams. All those things were locked away in a trunk with his old school things, and who knew where that was? He'd certainly heard nothing about it.

Harry stopped walking, now only a few feet away from the tired looking man in front of him. The late afternoon sun was warm, and its light blazed across the grass, glinting on the surface of their swimming pool. But he barely noticed. His gazed was fixed forwards. Remus looked old, and in some way, he looked beaten. Harry hated the sight of it. He imagined he himself had looked that way before, and probably still did at times, when the memories of _that place _overtook him.

"Perhaps we should move this inside?" Severus suggested quietly, making Remus and Harry jump. Still, it seemed to shake them from whatever trance they had been in, and both nodded. Once everyone had settled into the comfortable living room, they were saved from an awkward silence by Dobby and Winky's fussing. The two house elves would not leave them alone until everyone had been furnished with refreshments, and it seemed neither of them would take no for an answer. Unfortunately, when both elves finally left the room, the silence returned.

* * *

Draco and Ron were off to one side, sitting together, exchanging worried glances as the other three looked anywhere except each other. Severus was scowling almost unblinkingly at a spot on the wall, and the redhead privately wondered if the irascible potions master thought he could set fire to it with his gaze alone. The way he was glaring at it, Ron wouldn't be surprised if it did. Harry was looking at his hands as he fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt and Remus was staring at his feet. Ron was unsurprised by the put upon sigh from his partner and silently sent a wave of approval for what he knew was about to come.

"This is utterly ridiculous! We did not arrange for Lupin to portkey more than half way round the world to sit silently in our living room. For Merlin's sake, talk to each other!" Draco admonished flicking his hands at them in a gesture to 'get on with it'. He was met with a mixture of glares and sheepish looks. Ever the brave Gryffindor, even now, Harry decided to go first. He looked at his former mentor, and sighed, the words coming almost of their own accord.

"Remus, I don't know what to say. I really don't. Things have become so jumbled. I…I still wonder, sometimes, if I'm really as sane as I think or feel I am. It's like...I have these dreams…about…" Here Harry's voice cut off and he took a deep breath. "…about _Azkaban._" He almost whispered the last word. "I had them nearly every night after being taken out, and it was like I was still there, I never got out...that I was imagining all this…" He stopped again and took a sip of the juice Dobby had brought him earlier. While doing so he risked a glance at his former Defence teacher, and was mildly shocked by what he saw.

Remus' face was filled with self loathing and reproach. Harry realised he was seeing the truth of the man and the wolf's feelings. The werewolf was disappointed in himself for what he had said and done, and it showed. The younger man decided to plough on ahead, thinking that if he didn't get it all out now, he probably never would.

"The dreams have become less frequent, and I have to admit a large part of that was the distance. Living here, so far away from everyone helped me to forget. But not forgive." Here he rubbed a hand over his eyes as if trying to block out painful images. He leaned back into the circle of Severus arms, greatly appreciating his partner's strength, and that he was letting him tell all of this in his own words. He could see that his three companions wanted to speak, but were repressing their desires for his sake. He was so grateful for friends such as these, and was constantly surprised by their loyalty, and to be blunt, that they even wanted to know him.

"Sharing a bed with someone who cares so deeply for me has also been a huge help, as well as a wonderfully novel experience. You know, I never really understood what it was like to be wanted in such a way, to be cherished." He twisted to look over his shoulder at Severus, and could read the man well enough to see he was pleased at the praise. He could also see a very faint blush, and pushed down a snigger. He had not believed there was a bashful bone in the older man's body, until now.

"Still, it hurt then and it hurts now. I don't understand how everyone could turn their backs on me the way they did, potion or no. Well, I say everyone, but these three…" His correction was waved away by his three friends as irrelevant.

"Truth be told Harry, I didn't really think much about it one way or the other." Draco reminded him and the black haired boy laughed.

"Too busy preening in front of the mirror Malfoy?" He suggested slyly and Draco fluttered his lashes at him in reply.

"Wouldn't you if you looked like me?" He retorted, and was pleased when this brought an exasperated laugh from his lover and the rest of the room. It went quite a ways to relieving some of the underlying tension, though not all of it.

"Moving on then. When everything came to light, with the formula and stuff, well, then I knew we would have to go back. Don't get me wrong, I had sworn I would one day kill that bastard who framed me, and wrecked so many lives, but I wanted some time…away…where I could do something normal for a change, and just be me. But I realise now, I won't ever have that luxury, not completely. I will always be The-Boy-Who-Lived, and that's not something I can change or shake off. Short of leaving the wizarding world completely. But I'm getting off track here…" He paused, frustrated with his difficulty in articulating what he wanted, what he needed to say. But before he could begin again, Remus sat forward.

"Maybe I could cut in here?" He suggested, looking around nervously. He was so tense, he was almost trembling.

* * *

The afternoon had barely begun, and already he was feeling wrung out and tired. He wasn't sure which part of the world these four had settled in, but his body was telling him it was a significant time difference, and it was wreaking havoc with his circadian rhythms, and Moony was finding it incredibly difficult to adjust. He seemed to have moved to about twelve or thirteen hours ahead, and could make some guesses about their approximate location.

He had at first believed that they were in Europe somewhere. He had only begun looking further a field, when their instructions arrived and told him to be ready at four o'clock in the morning. He had his suspicions then, about their location and also about this Delafuente fellow who'd supposedly discovered the formula, but he set them aside for now. Coming in here and throwing around accusations was definitely _not _going to help him regain or rebuild his pseudo-godson's trust, far from it. He had no illusions about his credibility with his former friends, or that such prying would not find him summarily thrown out on his ass. A fate he surely wanted to avoid.

A stiff nod followed his plea, and he collected himself, trying, and seeming to have difficulty putting into words what he felt, and what he wanted to say. Just like Harry had had.

"I…I am so sorry Harry. And Severus, Draco, Ron, you too. I feel like someone who has been recovering from a sickness, and in some ways that is true. The last five years have been so…peculiar. I often felt like a ghost of a person, and didn't really know why, I just put it down to the curse and left it at that, convinced my work with Moony would eradicate the problem. I didn't really think of you that much, other than brief bouts of condemnation. I don't know if you are aware, but I keep a diary, it was a suggestion made by the person who coached me in my meditation. He thought it would be a good idea to track my progress of my studies, so I could report my findings, and maybe help other werewolves…anyway. I traced back through the entries and found that the times I was feeling particularly venomous towards you, well, they coincide with visits to a certain person, I have them here if you would like to see…" He was cut off by a scowl from Severus, and his hands fluttered away from his pockets where he had been intending to pull the shrunken notebooks from. He looked at his feet, flustered for a moment when he saw everyone's eyes on him. Too scared to try and read their expressions, he trundled on, figuring he could brace himself for their reactions later.

"Right, yes, well, maybe later…yes. I have thought about this almost non stop since my discovery, wanting to work out how I could make this up to you, all of you, but Harry especially. Those things I said, they weren't me! As I said in my letter, I really don't feel that way, or think anything like that! I don't! But at the same time, I am remiss for not questioning such things before now. Who knows how long this has been going on? I have no idea. If it is who I think it is then we should be able to place a finite limit on the amount of time they have been influencing us, but still. Whether or not I meant those things, I _did _say them, and at a point when you needed help. I'm sorry Harry, and I'll do whatever it takes to make this up to you." He said the last part in a choked whisper, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he regarded the wronged young man on the sofa.

Harry too was crying, but he brushed them away angrily with a swipe of his hands.

"I…" He sniffed loudly and swore. "Fuck! I am so sick of fucking crying! Remus, I understand. I really do. I know it wasn't really you, but like you said, it kind of was you as well. I don't know what to say…" He said, but here Severus decided it was time to break his respectful silence.

"What you are both hinting at, is that it will take time. These things always do. But you have started the process, and while I believe this will be by no means 'plain sailing', as muggles are wont to say, you have taken the first step." He said wisely and Harry, in a fit of childish rebellion, stuck his tongue out at him. Severus regarded him quizzically for a moment, before laughing and kissing those sweet, pouting pink lips.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Harry declared, and Severus laughed again.

"Didn't mind though, did you?" He replied and Harry pretended to consider it.

"Now that you mention it, not very much, no." His smiled was the brightest his older lover had seen for some time, never mind the rest of the room. Forgetting or not even caring that they had an audience, Severus pressed his lips to Harry's once more, and kissed him with everything he had, pouring all his feelings and desires into the kiss. They broke away, breathing hard, and simply stared at each other. Their rapture was interrupted by Draco clearing his throat, and they blushed. Disengaging themselves from their tangle of limbs, they turned back to face the others. All three had indulgent smiles on their faces, particularly Remus.

"Well, I vote we get down to business. Remus, despite your warning, we must return to England. What are your thoughts on that?" Said Draco, and the werewolf frowned, staring at the carpet.

* * *

"Albus seems to be vacillating between respecting Harry's wishes, and wanting total control over him and all his actions. I don't know why he keeps changing his mind, and there is no evidence of him having ingested the potion." Remus said, unconsciously answering one of their questions. He went on, "Nevertheless, neither is there any evidence that he has _not _been dosed either. So it is a possibility. We must also consider his age." He added, and everyone except Severus looked confused. He simply nodded in understanding at the speaking glance Remus directed at him. Noticing the questioning glance his lover directed at him, Severus prepared to explain what Remus meant.

"Albus is a lot older than most people believe, and old age affects wizards just as much as muggles, when we finally reach it. Now, Albus is stronger than most, and has not shown any overt signs of slowing down, however, he may have been concealing the true state of his health from others." He said and the rest looked thoughtful.

"So, his deterioration may have reached a point where he cant hide it completely?" Harry suggested and the two older men nodded.

"Exactly." Remus replied, and then continued. "We may not know if this irrational behaviour and abrupt swings in his moods and opinions is down to some kind of dementia, or the potion, unless we manufacture some reason to test his blood. Having said that, if we catch him in one of his more reasonable moods, he may submit to screening voluntarily." He declared.

"Why haven't you done it before now?" Draco inquired, not unkindly. Remus shrugged apologetically.

"I didn't know how he would take it, and I really didn't think it was worth pushing my luck - I would be no good to you locked up somewhere or _obliviated_. Plus, the Guild contacts are his, so I wouldn't have been able to send it to anyone without creating a stir, which might have been noticed. At first, I didn't know if you would reply to my letter, or what would happen. Then I had my suspicions about who really discovered that contaminant." Here he paused and looked knowingly at Severus, who merely raised an eyebrow and didn't comment. Remus chuckled softly in appreciation. "So, when I got your reply, I thought it was best to come and see you, to lay out what I know, so that we could all discuss it. I must admit, this has been a very difficult time for me." He said, the latter part in a faraway voice, his eyes on the carpet. After a moment or two of silence, Harry spoke.

"Go on, Remus." He encouraged silently. The werewolf jumped slightly, as if forgetting he was not alone, and then frowned.

"It's all been…so confusing. What with one thing and another, Hogwarts has become a strain, these last few weeks. So much intrigue, and so much deceit. It's hard to know who to trust. Sirius is…I don't know. How long will the effects of the potion last? Will he ever recover? How much is him, and how much is the drugs? Is it only Moony that has spared me? Would I be just as bad? Will he start developing physical symptoms, like the ones on the list? I just…" His voice trailed off, and he leaned forwards, covering his face with his hands, now severely agitated. "Harry, I'm so sorry! If this is like even a tenth of what you had to go through…I…" He choked a little, a sob escaping, and the four darted worried glances between them and their visitor.

"Remus…what do you mean, 'If this is a tenth like what Harry had to go through?'" Prompted Ron. His former teacher shuddered, and looked up, his face blotchy and puffy. Draco wordlessly levitated a box of tissues towards him, and Remus caught them with a grateful albeit weak smile.

"Thanks." He muttered, before wiping his eyes and blowing his nose. When he was suitably recovered, he sat back in his chair, and began speaking once more. "I meant, when everyone turned on you, and you suddenly had only yourself and no one else to count on. Well, you were like that, when you first came to school, and always will be, to a certain extent I think. But gradually, you opened up and let people in. I always admired you, for being courageous enough to do that. People always talk about all the brave deeds they've done, killing vampires and werewolves, like in Gilderoy Lockhart's wonderful works of creative fiction. But that's not really what courage is, not in my opinion at least. Anyway, I'm getting off track again. I was so pleased, after I worked out what had happened, what is still happening, that you weren't alone. Because it's a horrible state to be in, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone." He paused to blow his nose again, and sagged forwards, one hand supporting his head.

"I...think I kind of see what you're saying Remus. Things have been done to us, all of us, which are despicable. I don't understand people who go through life thinking they can treat other people that way. Like Voldemort, like Draco's parents…like Dumbledore, like hundreds of others. In some ways you can understand certain people's motivations, take an historical figure…like Napoleon. He truly believed that the world would be better and fairer under his rule. Some of it was greed, but most of it was love for his country. And Hitler. He too was a kind of idealist gone horribly wrong. Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning their actions, far from it. They did have some kind of warped higher purpose though.

But Voldemort…and others like him...they just want power, end of. There's nothing more to it than that. The rest of it - all that mudblood rot - is just honey, sweet talking designed to bring the powerful purebloods into line. And Hermione, if she is the one poisoning people…well, she fits into that category too." He cut off abruptly, and took a quick sip of his drink. He sat forward, and looked at each of the people gathered there in turn. He was more animated in this moment than most of them had seen in a long while, save Severus maybe. A long moment stretched into minutes, as Harry ruminated on the situation, suddenly, he clapped his hands, getting their attention.

* * *

"What we need, is a plan. What are the facts?" He said, and began ticking them off on his fingers. "There's Voldemort…"

"…and the Prophecy." Severus said, and Harry nodded.

"Dumbledore." Remus put in with a sigh, Harry counted that too.

"Hermione!" Spat Draco, and Harry counted that one. By this time, he had summoned paper and was writing the list down.

"The rest of the Order of the Limpdicks." Ron declared, which causes a brief chuckle through the room.

"Captain Spanky and his Amazing Fancy Pants Club Band." Ron added, and when Remus looked confused, Severus muttered, "Rufus Scrimgeour and The Ministry." Which was met with an 'Oh' of understanding from the Defence Professor and then an amused snicker.

"That it?" Harry asked the room, still looking down at his list.

"Well aside from making the antidote for the potion and testing as many people as possible, though I believe the latter stage may have to be completed once Mrs _Percy_ Weasley is…dealt with." Severus said, and Harry nodded distractedly. Ron, who had scowled at the mention of the name 'Weasley', turned to his lover.

"Draco, when we get married, can I take your name?" He asked, and the blond sputtered, shocked.

"M-Married?" He questioned weakly, his voice startled out of his usual drawl.

"Not now of course idiot, like, whenever!" Ron replied waving a hand to illustrate inconsequence of the almost-proposal. "Not like it's such a big deal, we're already bonded. I just wanted to point out my distinct lack of desire to share a last name with that disgusting woman." He added, and his partner looked relieved.

"You know, I didn't notice until now, but Draco's really had a positive influence on Ron's vocabulary." Harry said in an aside to Severus, who simply laughed quietly, and drew his younger lover closer towards him. Harry cleared his throat to interrupt the two healers, who were about to launch into a discussion about the merits of the redhead taking Draco's name, or them simply inventing a new one.

* * *

"Right, so, everyone?" He said, glancing round to make sure he had their attention. "OK. We have our list, now we need suggestions on what to do about the people on the list. I can start here again. With Voldemort, I'm not sure. Dumbledore always used to tell me it was love which would help me to defeat him. As of right now, I do not see any practical applications of my feelings in that respect, so I think that item needs more research. Agreed?" He asked, looking at the others again. Met with nods all round, he continued.

"As for the Prophecy, I know these three are aware of the wording," He began, pointing at Draco, Rona and Severus, "But has Dumbledore shared it with the rest of you?" He asked his former teacher, who shook his head. "Well, brace yourself then: _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..._"

There was silence as Remus considered what he had just heard, and the others went over the words they knew so well now, though they wished they didn't.

"Oh my God! Harry!" Remus declared, stricken. Harry waved it away, annoyed.

"He told me less than an hour after Sirius supposedly _died _in the Department of Mysteries at the end of my fifth year. Why he didn't tell me sooner, why he never trained me…I suppose only the old man can answer that. At the time he told me it was because he wanted to me to have some kind of normal childhood. Ha! Like that was ever possible. Even if my parents had somehow survived that night, I would never be normal. Not _me, _The-Boy-Who-Lived! Especially not after Trelawney opened her big gob and cursed my life." He declared, in a scathing tone, eyes full of bitterness and despair. Tension suddenly filled the room.

"I can't for the life of me understand why you would want to be normal, Potter. Normal people are frightfully dull, don't you know?" Draco said in his dry, cultured voice, pretending to study his finger nails. Before Ron could smack him round the head for his surprising flippancy, (usually it was Ron who put his foot in it), Harry laughed, loud and long, and smirked at his school days nemesis.

"How right you are Malfoy!" He said, and leaned into Severus a bit. The Potions Master had been fairly quiet the whole day, and Harry wasn't sure if it was down to his customary habit of holding back to consider things, or because he just wanted to let them speak. So, he settled in closer to the warm body next to him, and pulled the list closer to look at it again.

"So, where were we…ah, Dumbledore. Barmy, bonkers, bumbling dumbly-door. Well?" He said, raising his eyebrows.

"It's a tough one. We need to test him. But we also need to find a way to stop him from separating the three of us, particularly you two." Remus said, indicating the two dark haired lovers on the sofa. The rest nodded, agreeing and paused to think about it. After some time, Severus spoke.

"I am not certain of how we should proceed. There are minor steps we could take of course, such as warding our rooms in the castle, for I have no doubt we will have to stay there. Additionally, we can have Dobby and Winky provide all of our food and watch our chambers when we are absent. We can have portkeys and accessories which carry monitoring charms. But all of these can be disabled." He said and Harry sighed.

"There isn't anything fool-proof. There never is. But…" his voice trailed off as his face took on a look of intense concentration. He flicked a glance at the man beside him, and then looked away again, frowning.

"What is it Harry?" Severus encouraged quietly. The young wizard looked at his lover thoughtfully.

"Well…could we link ourselves together somehow? Some kind of proximity bond, or something?" He suggested and then his head whipped round at the sound of the gasps from the other side of the room. "What?" He asked, slightly irritated. He hated it when he made a tit of himself by his lack of knowledge. It was certainly a sore point for him, having missed so much school, it was going to take him a while to catch up, even if his private studies had been well advance before his incarceration. He was proud of how hard he had worked before, and felt the loss of those years keenly.

"Sorry mate, it's just, bonding, after a month?" Ron said, the tips of his ears slightly pink from embarrassment.

"Oh, I see. But I don't mean like a wedding, or something, just, like, a _link._" He explained, and this time Severus frowned.

"You don't wish to marry me?" He questioned and Harry gulped. Their friends made to leave the room, but Harry waved them back to their seats.

* * *

"Honestly?" Harry said, and Severus nodded. "Yes, I do wish to marry you. But it is really soon, and we've only just got over my last attack." He said, ignoring the sharp intake of breath from Remus for the moment. They could explain that later. "I can't imagine ever wanting anyone else, or needing anyone, the way I need you. I don't want to rush in and mess things up, because this is important to me. It's probably the most important thing I'll ever do in my life." He declared and Severus looked uncertain.

"But the Dark Lord…" He protested, but was cut off by his partner.

"Who gives a shit about him? He's not important. He's just like…the gas bill, or council tax. Just one of those things that you don't like, but have to take care of anyway, just to get some peace and quiet. No, _you and me_ is what's important. And I don't want this war, or Dumbledore or any of the other nutcases they seem to collect back home, to interfere by forcing us to make a decision we're frankly not ready to." He paused here and held his lover's face gently in his hands, feeling the smooth and slightly wrinkled skin warm under his palms. "I already know I want to be with you forever, so let's just take our time, yeah?" He suggested, and Severus smiled.

It was probably the most open and joyous smile anyone had ever seen from this intensely private man. His eyes shone with a shy happiness, the likes of which neither Remus nor any of the others ever expected to see. Even Harry was slightly surprised at seeing Severus' mask totally disappear. He welcomed the older man into his arms as he leaned forward and captured his lips with his own. Harry opened his mouth eagerly, and melted into the slow, languorous kiss.

They were interrupted by a cough from Remus, and broke apart, still smiling, and completely unabashed, eyes only for each other.

"Alright then Harry, we'll find a way to link, and then, when we're ready, we will discuss marriage. Agreed?" Severus offered and Harry kissed him again.

"Agreed." He replied a few moments later. Rearranging themselves on the sofa so they were more comfortable, they turned back to their friends, and the list.

* * *

"Right, so, hmmmm. Next one down is Hermione." Harry said, not bothering to try and hide his grimace.

"Stupid Mudblood." Draco commented with a scowl, and no one even tried to correct him, all of them in fact wholeheartedly agreed with his assessment of her character. Or lack thereof.

"The most effective step we can take against her, is to develop an antidote to the substance she has been using. Then, rather than testing every person in the school, I believe we should find a way to administer it to everyone simultaneously. I should be able to create something that will cure the subjects of her potions influence, without harming anyone who is not…infected." Severus stated, raising his glass and taking a long drink.

"How long do you think it would take?" Harry wanted to know. The Potions Master thought for a minute before speaking.

"It is difficult to say. I would need to counteract the _liquidus oblivio_, which enforces the suggestions and maintains their influence, whilst repairing the damage caused by the ketamine hydrochloride and gamma hydroxybutyric acid. Hmm…difficult, but do-able. I suppose…Echinacea perhaps…maybe, Hypericum perforatum, jasmine…" The former Professor seemed to lose himself in his ruminating, and jumped when Harry prodded him in the side. "Potter…" He threatened him with his most menacing look, and was rather put out when the younger man merely laughed, and wagged a finger in his face.

"Enough of your babbling Snape! Answer the question, or it will be twenty points from Slytherin!" He admonished with a mock glare. Severus paused for a moment, in shock, and then shook his head with a rueful chuckle.

"Point taken. There is no straight answer. It could take a month, it could take six months. There is no way to know for sure, and it would be pointless and counterproductive for me to try." He replied and the others sighed.

"Well, it can't be helped. Until then, watching what you eat will take on a whole new meaning! Wait…can it be scanned for?" Ron asked, and Snape scratched his chin thinking. Remus too, looked thoughtful, and after a second or two, spoke up.

"I would think so. At least, probably. Wouldn't the pH be slightly off? And wouldn't the _liquidus oblivio _leave a magical trace, considering the way it's brewed?" He suggested, and Severus nodded, slowly.

"Possibly. I'd have to do more tests. In the mean time, we only take meals from our house elves. We can trust those two with our lives." He said and the rest agreed silently. There was no one more devoted than Dobby or Winky, and the little group of friends went out of their way to make sure their elves knew how appreciated they were. It meant for a sometimes noisy atmosphere, what with all the wailing, of "Such kind masters!" and the like, but if it made them happy, then what did it matter?

"Well then, short of just blowing her sky high, there's not much else we can do. Hang on a second though...Remus, I'm sure I heard something about a child? Did Hermione and Percy have a daughter?" Harry asked, curious. Remus grimaced, and nodded, along with Severus, Ron and Draco.

"Yes, her name is Emma-Jane Weasley, and she is a right little madam! Not that I blame her, mind you. Father a Death Eater, Mother a raving psycho. The poor child doesn't get much attention, and so becomes very overbearing and bossy around company. She would try the patience of a saint, and she's only three or four years old, I forget exactly. I do feel sorry for her though." He said quietly.

"Really? Why?" Ron asked, and Remus shrugged.

"I see her around the castle, on her own, holding long conversations with her dolls or teddy bears. No one talks to her, and I rarely see her in the company of her mother more than once a week, if that, sometimes. I think she is very lonely, and is coping the only way she knows how. And…well…I saw marks, on her arms once. Finger mark shaped bruises. I don't know how they got there, and I never saw them more than once but…well…" His voice trailed off as he saw everyone understood his meaning.

"Once is enough." Harry whispered, and the silence was almost deafening.

"Poor kid." Draco interjected, and the others grunted in agreement.

"We'll see, when we get there, we'll see. Emma-Jane Weasley is still a child, and children can change." Severus declared, closing the subject for now.

* * *

"Moving on then, the Order and the Ministry." Harry said, setting the list down on the coffee table, and deciding to manoeuvre himself so his head was resting in Severus' lap. Suddenly he was feeling incredibly weary, and glanced at the clock. It was well onto seven or eight in the evening, and they would be having dinner soon. He smiled in content as he felt the long fingers of his boyfriend begin stroking his hair, and contemplated taking a nap for a few minutes. Surely the others could work this part out on their own? Mmmm, and it did feel so _nice _and soothing…

"I reckon we – " Ron began, but he was cut off by his partner's former Head of House, holding a finger to his lips and whispering, "Sssh!" When Ron raised his eyebrows in question, Severus gestured to the man sprawled out across the settee, and the other three men leaned over to look.

Harry was already sound asleep, an expression deep contentment on his face, oblivious to the world.

"He looks so peaceful." Remus murmured. "It's quite surprising, considering…" His voice faded away as he contemplated the young man in the Potions Master's lap.

"Quite." Severus replied, and the rest smiled at the young saviour indulgently. The three who had left Hogwarts with him were just pleased that Harry was getting some much needed rest. His recovery from his ordeal was still not complete, and sleep was once of the best medicines, especially in his case.

"We can talk about this later. There's not much we can plan with regards to those two groups anyway." Ron said, and was met with agreement all round.

"True. I know, why don't we show Remus to a room? I take it you can stay?" Draco suggested, and the werewolf nodded.

"Yes, I won't be missed for a few days." He confirmed, and the three of them rose, leaving the room quietly.

* * *

Severus looked down at his slumbering lover, and admired the way the younger man still appeared so relaxed and open as he slept. He looked so innocent and untouched, like he hadn't really spent nearly half a decade in that living _hell_ known as Azkaban Prison. He marvelled at Harry's strength, despite the illness, despite the betrayals, despite everything.

He leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss on the famous scar, his strong arms cradling his Harry closer to his chest. He whispered, "I love you." Hoping his words would dispel any nightmares before they could begin, hoping his feelings and affection could protect Harry from everything which ever beset him.

For what did they have, if not hope?


	12. My Only

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or anything else you recognise. **

**A/N: Hello All! Thanks for the lovely reviews, and thank you for being so patient. There are so many places I could have stopped this chapter and given you all one hell of a cliff-hanger. But I felt bad and couldn't quite bring myself to do it. So, here it is. Not as long as I would like, and fairly angsty/sappy. Turra! **

* * *

Chapter Twelve - My Only

* * *

"'Oh yes,' said Miss Marple fervently. 'I always believe the worst. What is so sad is that one is usually justified in doing so.'"

_Miss Marple to Inspector Neele, Chapter Twenty-Four in 'A Pocket Full of _ _Rye__'. _

**Agatha Christie**** (1890 – 1976)**

* * *

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove: Oh no! It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken; it is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle's compass come: love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved." 

Severus finished the sonnet, and looked down to find Harry asleep, his face more relaxed than he had seen in a long time. He was, in this moment, unmarred by the lines of stress and anxiety which had been present ever since he was released from prison. There had been a brief respite when they had first moved to New Zealand, when everything was filled with such promise. Their lives suddenly seemed to be bursting with potential. But now…

Now, everything seemed black and grey. It was almost as if their old lives had become like a rope. At the end of which was a noose. A noose that was slowly being tightened as they were dragged back, inch by inch, to Britain and all the danger there.

"_The ties that bind._" Severus muttered, feeling a chill down his spine. Things had never been so murky, so convoluted. He was used to intrigue; it had been part of his life for so long. But no matter how accustomed he became to it, it never stopped being dangerous, or unpredictable. Or just plain horrifying. The former spy had to admit something to himself, sitting there, gazing down at the young man who had burst into his life, filling his mind like a sandstorm. Changing and influencing him more than anyone ever had or could.

He had to admit it, he was frightened. It was more than that though really, in fact, it was more pf a throat tightening, stomach sinking, can't think, can't function, can't breathe…_terrified._

Before, when he read that letter from Jason, it had seemed like an entertaining puzzle. He realised that he should have looked at it more closely. Over the years, he had allowed himself to grow complacent. Ever confident in his abilities to deceive the Dark Lord, he became comfortable and lax. He should have recognised the dangers of undertaking such a task, and left the damn letter with the Guild. Who knew? They may never have heard from anyone in England again. They may have remained safe.

Harry was Slytherin enough to have allowed himself to have been persuaded that the situation back home should be left well alone. Let the people there deal with it themselves. Heroes were overrated after all, and just as Harry had said before, if they all stood up for what they believed in, if they truly made the effort, instead of letting other people sort it out for them, then they would surely prevail.

Severus was of the opinion that if they couldn't prevail in such circumstances, then maybe they didn't deserve to. But that was one of his private thoughts, and not something he readily expressed. Along with the idea that a little conscription probably wouldn't go amiss either.

But it was too late for '_what if?_' Far too late. No, they were going back.

Yes, to himself he could admit it - he was frightened.

* * *

Remus was up early, or was it late? He wasn't really sure. He was all messed up since coming here and his body had no idea what time of day it thought it was; only that he couldn't sleep. The sun was just rising, and he moved through the house as quietly as possible, exiting through the back door to watch nature in all her splendour. 

He couldn't actually remember the last time he'd spared the time to watch the sunrise, if he ever had. There was always something to be done, something which needed sorting out, and it seemed as though he was always the one who had do it. Well, lately anyway.

Recently, he'd been doing an awful lot of soul searching, like everyone else had he supposed, or hoped even. And he had found more than a few things he'd done or not done, as the case may be, that he wasn't terribly proud of.

Standing by while James and Sirius taunted Severus, _for no bloody reason_, was one of them. Leaving Harry all by himself without checking up on him, trusting in Dumbledore that his best friends child was being well looked after, was another.

Why did he just listen blindly? Was it because he was so young? As children we do believe that adults have our best interests at heart, and we do as we're told, and that stays with us, even as we grow older. But surely that was no excuse!

Why did he not do and look, see Harry just _once_? Surely he should have, if not for his friends' sake, but for Harry himself. The little bundle of cute baby who had held his heart in his tiny fist the very first time he laid eyes on him.

It seemed Moony whole heartedly agreed with him on this, but instead of standing in this beautiful garden and howling out his pain, his wolf was rather more pragmatic. There was no way to change the past, and though a lot of it was horrible, if any part had been changed, Harry would not be who he was _now._

Neither he nor Moony knew if that was a good thing, or not.

* * *

The five of them were all seated around the breakfast table, pushing their food around their plates. Not surprisingly, the atmosphere was rather subdued. Ron and Draco were sitting very close, being far more demonstrative than was their norm. They kept giving each other reassuring little touches, their hands brushing over each other as they reached for various things. 

Harry and Severus weren't quite so touchy-feely, well, not on the surface anyway, but Harry had taken possession of his partner's hand almost as soon as they sat down, and didn't look as though he intended to relinquish it any time soon. After some half hearted glares, Severus seemed to resign himself and proceeded to eat his breakfast one handed.

Remus sat in between these two couples, and, not for the first time in his life, felt the huge gaping hole in his heart. A hole which had never really been filled before. Oh, his friendships with James, Sirius, Lily and the others had gone a long way to easing that aching emptiness. But they were all gone now, well, Sirius was as good as in his current state, and now it was back, making him feel a thousand years old. He was weary with life, and some days, he wondered what made him get up in the mornings. He was startled out of his distracted reverie by the sound of Snape's voice.

"While you are here Lupin, I meant to ask you about the new formula I've been developing for the Wolfsbane. I was hoping to alleviate some of the sickness and pain which follows the transformations…"

The other three men zoned out as soon as the Potions Master began speaking in his 'explaining' voice, and Harry privately wondered if Remus would have been able to follow the conversation at all, if he hadn't already had a vested interest in the subject. He also wondered whether, though the subject was pertinent, since Lupin had been Severus' long-time test subject, whether this was just a means of distracting himself from the conversation the five of them had to have today. A way of delaying the inevitable. He sighed, and when there was a pause in the two men's conversation, he voiced what he guessed they were all thinking:

"I don't want to go back."

The clatter of cutlery was deafeningly loud in the now silent room. He felt his lover squeeze his hand, and turned to look into his dark eyes, concern and something he couldn't put a name to showing in them. He heard someone shuffling their feet and then a gusty sigh.

"Neither do I." Ron admitted. There was silence again.

"But we must. It's always '_must'_, isn't it? I just hope…" Harry's voice faltered as he glanced away and out of the window, though no one believed he was actually looking at anything in their garden.

"What do you hope, Harry?" Severus asked quietly. The younger man answered without turning his head.

"I hope there's something left when it's all over."

* * *

"Right! I've had just about enough doom and gloom. If we carry on like this, before we know it we'll all be slashing our wrists while listening to Radiohead at full blast!" Ron declared suddenly, slapping his hand down on the table in emphasis. The two older wizards plus Draco looked confused at the mention of the muggle rock group, but Harry snickered at the mental image. 

They were being rather angsty, truth be told. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if one of them stomped off to their room, shouting '_I hate you! You're so unfair! No one understands me!' _Or some other equally ridiculous teenaged hormonal outburst. Which no doubt would have been fuelled by downing a quarter of a bottle of twenty year old Cinzano Bianco from the parent's drink's cabinet._ Yuck! _

"Fair point, old friend. You're absolutely right." Harry conceded and Ron nodded approvingly. "If we go in there with this attitude, Dumbles will have us all under his thumb faster than you can say 'Antidisestablishmentarianism'." The former convict said with a lopsided smile.

"Why Mr Potter, that is a _very _long word." Severus murmured with a hint of sarcasm.

"Isn't that the longest word in the English language?" Remus asked, sipping his tea, rather glad for the change of direction their conversation had taken. He hated all this dark depression that had found them lately. It sometimes felt as if a heavy, grey cloud had settled over this house, in spite of the blazing sunshine outside. Harry shook his head, in answer to his friend's question, buttering a still-warm scone; he munched thoughtfully for a moment.

"The word _antidisestablishmentarianism_, with twenty eight letters, is commonly regarded as the longest accepted word in the English language. The word is used seriously in academic and ecclesiastical writing about the Church of England when the concept arises, which it does occasionally. However, since 1992 it has lost this title to floccinaucinihilipilification in the Guinness Book of Records. Antidisestablishmentarianism might still be the longest word not invented for the specific purpose of being a long word, as some think the word floccinaucinihilipilification may have been invented as a joke, and is an amalgamation of four Latin words." Here he paused for breath, and for another bite of his scone, blissfully unaware of the shocked faces of his friends.

"Presumably the creation of the word antidisestablishmentarianism invoked the irony of its length, and may have to do with the politics and commentary of the time period. Also, some criticise its validity on the basis that it has two prefixes - 'anti-' and 'dis'- and three suffixes '-ment', '-arian' and '-ism', stating that it is not only possible to create a number of longer meaningful words by adding ever more prefixes, or changing the existing ones. For example, changing '-ism' into the equally valid and longer suffix '-istic', but that 'antidisestablishmentarianism' is not a standalone word because of them. For example, theoretically 'counterantidisestablishmentarianism' is a valid word, where it refers specifically to antidisestablishmentarians' opponents, rather than merely disestablishmentarians in general."

There was a long pause when Harry finished and he looked up in surprise at the quiet. "What?" He prompted, confusion showing on his face.

"Um, are you the same Harry as was here yesterday?" Ron asked, looking a bit awestruck.

"Well yeah, course I am! What a thing to ask. Wait a minute; was it all the long words?" He replied with a rueful grin.

"Er, yeah. All that flocco stuff." His best friend admitted sheepishly.

"Floccinaucinihilipilification. It means 'the act or habit of estimating or describing something as worthless, or making something to be worthless by deprecation'." Harry explained and Ron decided this was one of those times which it would be better to just nod and agree, hoping to prevent a longer discussion on the subject. He had not forgotten the times he had been forced to listen to Hermione drone on about something extremely boring in that 'lecturing' voice of hers. Draco leaned into him and smirked.

"I think the word you're looking for is, 'anyway'!" He chuckled and the others joined in. Harry blushing a little sheepishly.

"I like to read." He mumbled and the others laughed.

"Of course you do Harry. It's not our fault that you swallowed an encyclopaedia whilst yawning your way through '_The White Hotel_!" Remus stated blithely, and Harry just sighed and huffed, pouting a little. This just only made them all laugh even more.

"Fine then, pick on the little guy why don't you!?" Harry sniffed.

"You know, I _thought _it was a bad idea to leave you to your own devices too much. There's no good in idleness Harry." Severus said, mock sternly, while squeezing his partner's hand to indicate light hearted banter and not domestic discord.

"Oh fine! Whatever." Harry paused, throwing up his hands in defeat, before pausing and turning back to his lover with a frown. "No actually, I disagree." He said firmly, setting his glass down on the table and sitting back into his chair.

Severus had just been dabbing at his face with his napkin, and turned in his seat to look at Harry. Remus and the other two guys were watching as well, interest and a certain anticipation evident in their expressions.

"Really, what are you referring to exactly?" The Potions Master asked, raising one eyebrow in a characteristic gesture of enquiry.

"'_Nothing good comes from idleness.' _Isn't that what you said? I disagree. Sir Edward Grey, who later became Foreign Secretary in 1905, was sent down from Oxford for incorrigible idleness. It is rumoured that the Duke of Wellington was pretty lazy when it came to homework." Here he paused for snickers, and the inevitable pureblood confusion. Shaking his head, Harry continued.

"You see, the human mind prefers to be spoon-fed with the thoughts of others, but deprived of such nourishment it will, reluctantly, begin to think for itself. I know my examples were both muggles, but when you compare the two worlds, our two worlds that is, on pure inventiveness and achievement, we are sadly lacking. I reckon though, that we, muggles and wizards…the human race, if you will, owes most of its great inventions and most of the achievements of genius to idleness – either enforced or voluntary. I mean, wasn't Isaac Newton supposedly napping under a tree when he discovered gravity!" Harry took a bite of the apple he picked up earlier and munched away, happy to have shocked the room once again with his smarts.

Oh _yeah._

"_Though, there is that new school of thought which said that Newton did not discover gravity, and...best not go there. That would be getting too pedantic. Hmmm...ooh, chocolate!_" Harry's mind was sometimes easily distracted.

* * *

It was a few days later, and the four friends were reviewing their plans to depart. Remus had already returned to England, and was under strict instructions to keep his head down, and refrain from making any waves. 

They had gathered once more, to discuss something which could decide one and for all, whether or not they would really go back. Namely – forming a link between Harry and Severus so they could not be separated by the Headmaster, or anyone else for that matter.

The two lovers in question were sitting opposite their friends at the kitchen table. Both nervous, but only Harry showing it outwardly.

"OK, well. Draco and I have researched this extensively in the time that we've had, and we've discovered something which, well…" Ron cleared his throat, feeling rather uncomfortable – not wanting to deliver this particular news, but knowing he had to anyway. "You see, there are links that form on their own. Like Draco and I, for example, it was our shared power which bound us, but it doesn't force us together. We could simply be colleagues, but we chose differently. And, you see…oh, gods! This is not coming out at all how I planned it…" He huffed and rubbed his hands across his face. Looking down at the table for a moment, he mumbled, "_Draco_…" In a pleading voice.

"What Ronald is trying to tell you, and so adorably inarticulately I might add, is that we've done our homework, and the only bond which would do what you want it to without hurting either of you, is a soul mates' marriage bond. Now I could go over the numerous links we looked into, but as none of them would work, that seems rather pointless right now." Draco explained, glancing down and brushing what must have been a microscopic sized piece of lint from his shirt. When he looked back up, he was met with dual expressions of shock, though Potter was as usual, far more open about it than Severus.

"B-But wouldn't a proximity bond…" Harry protested weakly, and Draco shook his head.

"No can do, I'm afraid. Sure, it would cause one or the other to collapse if you were separated for a certain amount of time, and also at a certain distance…however, the bonds which are castable at will, as in, they don't develop on their own, can be broken by a healer. A high level healer, but the type that are ten-a-penny at St. Mungo's." Ron answered and Draco nodded his agreement.

"I…see." Was all Severus said.

"I…I'm not sure I understand about soul mates." Harry said quietly, suddenly feeling very small and confused. In fact, his emotions had been going haywire lately, and he wasn't really sure what could be wrong with him. Draco and Ron were looking into it, and although they thought they knew what the problem was, they hadn't as yet voiced their suspicions to Harry. Hopefully, if this little discussion went the way the two healers wanted it to, then they would be killing two birds with one stone, as the saying goes.

"It's really very simple. Everyone has legends about them of course, some of which are true, and some that aren't. Though I must say, I don't think that it is solely a magical world phenomena, because all the stories muggles have about them, have to have come from somewhere." Ron began, and Draco cut in with his piece. Harry and Severus had commented to each other the day before that the two long term lovers had a habit of speaking that way – their speech flowing on one from the other. The older man had suggested that it might be down to their bond – a bond formed of complimentary magic, which was a huge part of why they were so effective as MediWizards.

"The magical community, and I _mean_ the community – not just wizards and witches, but all other races as well, believes that for each soul born, another, which is a perfect match in every way, is also born. Not necessarily at the same time, and not necessarily of the same race. It could be a wizard and a veela, or a vampire and a werewolf, or even a giant and a goblin…perish the thought." Draco shuddered a little, and then continued. "Most people don't find that person, because of distance or culture, or simply because of circumstances." When Harry looked confused, Severus explained.

"Among purebloods, for instance, arranged marriages are common. Many find themselves troth to another to cement an alliance between houses, often at birth. In such cases, it is common to take lovers on the side, but may do not actively seek their ideal partner. For obvious reasons, it could possibly lead to more heartache which many would find unnecessary and distressing." Harry nodded with understanding, and voiced a question that had been puzzling him since the mention of 'finding' a soul mate.

"Is there a method to search out such a partner? How would you know you had found the right person?" He wanted to know and was rewarded with nods from his three friends.

"Yes, there is a potion, it's fairly rudimentary, but not commonly used. As I said before, people can find the process distressing, particularly if they already have a partner." That latter sounded as if Severus had had to drag the words out, so reluctant was he to voice them. Now Harry really understood why this was such a difficult situation, and why the two healers opposite them kept exchanging worried glances.

Severus might not be his soul mate.

There was silence around the table, as all of them thought about what was not being said. Harry felt as if a great yawning chasm had suddenly formed between himself and his lover. The distance actually seemed palpable and he could feel it growing larger with each passing second that the both of them remained silent.

"Severus…" He began, wanting to build a bridge, hell, _anything,_ to prevent disaster before it could happen.

"Please excuse me." The potions master said to no one in particular, before rising and practically fleeing from the room.

"_Oh bloody fuck!_" Harry whispered into the empty air.

* * *

What felt like hours, but was probably only twenty or thirty minutes later, knowing that leaving Severus Snape to brood on anything too long was a recipe for disaster, Harry gathered himself together and set off to look for him, hoping that there would be some way to sort this out. He ignored Ron and Draco, and marched through the house, trying to decide where Severus might be. Could he have gone out? 

He paused on the stairs, one hand on the banister as he considered it. No, he wouldn't have gone out. He would have gone somewhere he felt safe, safe and in control.

Harry jumped back down the stairs and headed directly for the basement, which just happened to be where Severus' lab was located. When he got to the door, he could feel it was not warded, and surprisingly, neither was it locked. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Harry opened the door, and went inside.

"Not now Potter." Snape spat at him before he'd even closed the door behind him.

"Yes now Severus. We have to talk about this." He replied, as calmly as possible.

"What if I don't want to talk about it? What if I'm tired of discussing my feelings every ten seconds, just to reassure some stupid pampered child?" Harry forcibly reminded himself that Severus did not mean that. He knew the circumstances of his childhood, and he knew that Harry was definitely _not _stupid. But it hurt all the same. He _was _insecure and it _would _take time and reassurance before that went away.

His brain was in overdrive trying to work out what his partner was doing, and what he was trying to achieve by lashing out in such a way. To give himself a moment, he went and sat on a stool which had been pulled up to one of the workbenches, and rested his chin in his hands.

"What are you doing?" He asked quietly, and he saw the older man flinch briefly, before continuing to add ingredients to the cauldron he had set up over a magical fire. He occasionally stopped to consult a book which was open next to him, before stirring in an intricate pattern.

"I would have thought that would be abundantly obvious Mr Potter. I am making a potion. It _is _what I do, after all." Ah, so Severus had left the building and Professor Snape had taken up residence. The man was retreating. He was going where he felt comfortable, protected. Where his feelings were shielded and he could kid himself that he was escaping from the pain. Harry could guess which particular potion he was making. He clearly wanted to get the question answered as soon as possible, so as not to prolong the experience. Like someone ripping of a plaster, in one quick, smooth motion.

"Do you really believe that making _that _particular potion right now, before we have had a chance to discuss it, is a good idea, Severus?" Harry stated, in as even a voice as he could manage. He had to, because right then he felt as if he could fly apart at a moments notice.

"I…" Severus began, looking down at the potion, before looking back up at Harry. The fear and self loathing evident in his eyes, and the desperation, made the younger man gasp before it was quickly masked and potions master went back to his potion.

Harry rose from his seat, and made his way round the workbench, not knowing what to do, but somehow sensing that he had to make his position clear, before it was too late.

"While I admit that we wanted a bond so we could not be separated by Albus, I did not intend for the bond itself to be a possible cause of separation. I love _you, _I only want _you_, and the Fates can go fuck themselves if they think they can set me up with anyone else." He declared in a determined voice which would brook no argument.

"But…I might not be…there might be someone…someone better…more worthy…" Severus was cursing himself on the inside, for being so open, leaving himself so vulnerable to somebody else. Even as his heart reminded him it was Harry, Harry who would never betray him, Harry who was exactly the type of fool who would die before he hurt him, he couldn't help it. This was a defence mechanism which had been deeply ingrained since he was a child.

_Never let them in, never let them hurt you, and if they do, never let them realise it. _

It was irrational and illogical, but it had been his faithful friend these long years, and he was loathe to let anyone get past it. Even what he had begun to think was the love of his life. But then, he might not be. He glanced down at the potion once more, to find he'd been making it on auto pilot. It was almost ready. _A very simple potion, fairly rudimentary. _

"Please, love. Stop." Harry begged but Severus couldn't. He _needed _this. Needed to know.

"I can't."

* * *

There, it was done. 

They both looked up at the sound of the door, to see the worried faces of their friends. Draco looked at the workbench and groaned.

"Oh Sev, you _didn't_! Please tell me you didn't." He cried, knowing exactly what his godfather was likely to do in such a situation, he had honestly hoped that for once, he was wrong. But he wasn't and now here they were.

"What has he done?" Ron asked, though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"He's made the potion. The one to test if we're soul mates." Harry said quietly, and the tension rose dramatically.

"Ah, well. Right." Ron replied, not really knowing what to say. Realising in fact, that there really was nothing _to_ say, in the circumstances.

Severus couldn't look at any of them. He was feeling like the biggest idiot in the world. Why had he come down here and done this? Why had he forced this situation on himself? On Harry? He didn't want to know anymore, he didn't! This was too hard, too much, he couldn't do it!

Harry had moved up along side him, and none of them noticed him reading the book. Before anyone could stop him, he picked up a clean knife, and cut a gash in his palm. Holding the wound over the potion, he let three drops of blood fall into the mixture, and then pulled his hand back, waiting.

"Why did you…" Severus asked weakly, his voice faltering.

"Why did you?" Harry replied.

* * *

It felt as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for whatever would happen. Slowly, a silver mist rose from the potion, and moved towards Harry. It surrounded him, before dissipating, leaving behind a golden strand of magic. The strand was large, and pulsating with power. It extended from his body and lead directly, to Severus.

"Is this enough proof for you Snape?" Harry demanded in a low, angry voice. There was silence for a moment, before it was broken with a sob. A giant sob, which came from the snarky, now not so greasy git next to him.

"_Fuck." _It was a whisper, preceding a complete collapse of self control. Severus flung himself at his young lover, now proven to be his soul mate, and cried. Something he could never remember ever doing before. They were tears of joy, relief, surprise and grief. Grief for what he had never had, and for what he thought he nearly could have lost.

Harry, quickly realising that his mate would not really want anyone else to see him like this, turned his head to motion to their friends, only to find they had already left the room. With a smile, he pulled Severus closer to him, hoping to soothe his wounded soul, and heal his bruised and battered heart.

And while he was at it, he might heal his own too.

* * *

It was a simple spell, which they merely had to say together, they didn't even need a priestess or witnesses. And so they said it, lying together in their bed, in the dark of night, their bodies still entwined. 

_"Pillar of light,  
dispersing the shadow,  
consuming adversity,  
protecting my destiny.  
Love's truth burns bright,  
I welcome my soul mate on this night.  
Heart to thee, body to thee.  
Always and forever,  
so mote it be."_


	13. Let Me Take Some of the Punches

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter. **

**A/N: I'd like to thank DCoD for just being great and for always giving helpful advice. Also thanks to SeulWolfe for being a source of inspiration! Some back story in this chapter, which I thought was needed. Sorry it's a bit short, but this chapter was difficult to write as it covers a subject very close to my heart.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, they were very helpful and are always appreciated. You know, it's a continuous surprise that anyone is even reading this, let alone enjoying it! **

* * *

Chapter Thirteen – Let Me Take Some of the Punches

* * *

"Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be."

**Anton Chekhov** **(1860 - 1904)**

* * *

"I've been thinking about what else we can do to ensure our safety back in England, not just from Albus, but from the Ministry as well. Lupin may have confirmed that Harry has been cleared of all charges, but that doesn't mean that they won't try some other kind of manipulation." Severus paused to gather his thoughts, and glanced at the others. They all looked interested and he could feel Harry's resigned exasperation through his bond. He wasn't worried though, because he knew it wasn't directed at him.

"Go on." He encouraged and Severus flashed him a half-smile.

"To this end, I have taken the liberty of contacting a representative of New Zealand's equivalent, of their own Minister of Magic. He has informed the Minister of the situation, and the events surrounding not only our return to the United Kingdom, but the reason for our flight in the first place. Advised of all these facts, she has graciously agreed to meet with us tomorrow, to discuss what they can do to help. I believe citizenship was mentioned." He explained.

Harry and the others were taken aback. For most of their adult lives, the government had not been their friend, not for any of them. Not only did they lock Harry up for something he didn't do, they were also extremely lax about the security required for Ron and Draco to practise as healers, despite their skills being even more important now than ever before.

* * *

Draco had defied his family early on, while he was still in school, in fact. Once Lucius was in Azkaban, the compulsion charms and the mild _imperius_ he had subjected Draco to for much of his life, became strained and eventually snapped.

This allowed him the time to form his own ideas and opinions about the world, and with the help and support of his godfather, he had begun to rethink his feelings on practically everything in his life, and every_one_ in it too. Once the magic severed, he had gone into a kind of withdrawal, which had temporarily reasserted his father's conditioning, and made Severus worry that all their hard work had gone down the drain.

But such was not the case. Ron and Draco had already developed a tentative friendship, and when the blond was incapacitated by the breaking of the controlling magic, he had been there to help him through it. When investigating their impromptu bond, Severus' theories placed it that was during these moments, that their magic fused, and formed the bond that they share to this day. In severing the ties to Lucius' spells, Draco's magic was looking for something to hold onto, and it found Ron.

Later, when they became healers, their work was much in demand. However, by this time, Narcissa had disowned Draco and put a price on his head. The partners went to the Ministry to ask for protection in order to continue their work, but basically hit a brick wall. They were private citizens and as such, were expected to fend for themselves. The two young men put it down to Ron's open support of Harry and the usual prejudice against the Malfoy's, especially since Malfoy senior was and is still incarcerated in Azkaban for Death Eater activities.

So, in the end, they'd decided on a secure floo from their house direct to the hospital, and the Fidelius for their home itself. It wasn't ideal, as they had to have a house elf do all their shopping. Which was fine to a point - but Draco was meticulous about certain things, and felt the restrictions keenly.

Severus was their Secret Keeper - a fact which was a secret in of itself. Oh, many people knew of the long standing relationship between Draco and his godfather, but not many could believe that anyone would trust the irascible potions master with their life.

People kept him at a distance - even Albus, and told themselves they were only tolerating his presence in the Order because of the information he supplied them. In fact, most people believed the curses and torture he suffered at the hands of Voldemort were his just deserts and that his spying was simply his penance. The risk to his life every time he answered the summons through his Dark Mark was merely incidental.

They ignored the fact that they did not possess the skill or pure nerve it would take to accomplish such things themselves of course.

* * *

"Wow! That's a pretty big deal. Did they say why?" Harry asked, and Severus frowned.

"I'm not sure what you mean. If you mean why are they helping us, then I have a few theories. They are aware of the skills which I have, along with Draco and Ron, and would like us to be citizens on that basis. There can never be too many healers or potions masters in the world, and both continue to be in short supply. As for yourself, though we have an assumed name, they are well aware of your identity and were extremely impressed by your choice of profession." He replied, holding his mug out to Dobby to refill it.

"Impressed? Why? I mean, I love what I do, you know? But I'm not some big shot in the city or anything..." He mumbled, feeling a little self conscious. He might joke with their friends about them being overachievers, what with all the study they'd had to do, but that didn't stop him thinking that other people might believe he was wasting his talents where he was.

"That is exactly the point Harry! You have a tremendous amount of raw power, and your reputation packs quite the punch as well. However, instead of choosing to march into this country, and demand royal treatment on account of who you are, what do you do?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows. Harry looked slightly bewildered, not understanding what they were hinting at.

He was always a bit dense when the subject was himself. He could rarely see what others saw. He wasn't quite over the results of his upbringing, perhaps he never would be completely. He stared blankly at his friends.

"Instead of acting in such a deplorable fashion, you immediately take an unpaid job, helping animals and people who are unable to help themselves. You give them back their hope and their dignity; you love every flea bitten mongrel that passes through those doors. And you do this with a quiet, yet boundless compassion." Severus declared.

"That's quite impressive." Draco noted, and Harry sat back, awestruck. Did people really think that way about him? _Truly?_

"Huh, I guess so." He noted blankly. There was silence for a moment as everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Then Severus sat forward with a snort and tapped the sheets he had in front of him with one long finger.

"Moving on then. These are some forms we need to complete, merely a formality I'm told. But there is one point we need to clarify - that of our names." The former teacher stated, shuffling the papers under his hands to the appropriate page. "Given the implication that the Ministry of our new country will protect us, there seems little point of continuing our alias', unless we want to of course. Consider also, that an alias when we are in Great Britain will be pointless, as many know exactly who we are and what we look like." He added, leaning back in his chair to watch his friends.

"Well, um, I've been thinking about names too. Since our bonding, and everything, I would like to change my surname, to, um..._Snape._" Harry almost whispered the last part, not quite sure of the reception it would receive. His fears were unfounded however, as he quickly felt a wave of love and gratitude, and a tiny hint of bashfulness coming through - something he would never have expected from Severus.

In point of fact, they were both getting used to the extreme intimacy which their bond had caused to develop between them. It had developed incredibly rapidly, which apparently was not normal for any kind of bond. Unless, however, a bond was partway towards forming itself before the spell was performed.

This was the case between the two of them, and though the news had been welcome, it did not prevent the frequent blushes and moments of uncomfortable confusion as they tried to acclimatise themselves to their new circumstances.

"Really?" Ron asked, surprised that his best friend wanted to part with his family name. Draco didn't say anything; he just looked between Severus and Harry with a knowing smile.

"But...your name is...despite everything, all the unpleasantness. What I'm trying to say is, it's a symbol. A beacon...people look up to you." Severus said hoarsely, and Harry shook his head in disagreement. When he spoke, his eyes were hard chips of agate.

"I know it is, but it shouldn't be. People have got to stop looking to me, or to any one person, to solve their problems for them. It never works anyway. 'Cause if they do, then that person inevitably sorts things out the way they think they should be, and then people pick them apart and find fault. Yes, the world needs leadership and no one ever won a war with a committee, but that's why muggles have things like Parliament. Voices elected by the people, for the people. A group which although has a Prime Minister, but that Minister naturally has checks and balances built in. But that's not even the point." Harry's colour rose as he became more impassioned about his subject.

"If people keep quiet about things, if they don't make the effort to stand up for what they believe in, then things will never change! People who have power, people like Voldemort, who have charm and charisma, will run roughshod over the entire population, and bloody well get away with it!" He ran a shaky hand through his hair, and took a deep breath to try and calm himself down.

"Why should I save them? What the bloody hell had the Wizarding World done for me? Other than lock me up for something I didn't even do? If that's not a sign that they need to change things then I don't know what is! But aside from all that, why shouldn't I get to change my name without worrying what the rest of the world thinks? It's none of their fucking business!" He got on his knees in front of his shocked mate, and took one of his hands in his.

"Severus, _you_ are the only person whose business it is what I change my name to, and I would be honoured to share yours, if you'll have me." Harry said, his heart in his eyes.

The older man spluttered for a moment, still surprised that someone cared about him, of all people, so much. Bond or no bond. Logically he knew why he reacted this way, why he felt that way. But when it comes to situations like these, one's own irrationality takes over.

* * *

Throughout our lives, we learn a set of behaviours which govern how we react in certain situations, and how we interact with other people. This behaviour can be as unchangeable as time itself. And trying to get past them, can be extremely difficult - most don't even bother, as most don't even know what they're fighting against.

When people tell you that you're something - greasy, unlovable, a loser, for example, you might scoff to their faces and shout something back, but inside...inside, you wonder if it's true. And if they tell you often enough, then you start to believe it yourself.

You build walls, to protect yourself, and you don't let anyone in. Always alone, you begin to think of yourself as not worthy of other people's regard or affections, and find it completely unbelievable when someone says that they care, or admire you. You laugh off compliments and inwardly you're positive that they're only being nice to you because they want something.

And you convince yourself that they do want something. Because you've made it your business to be useful, to be good at something. To be funny, or clever, or kind. To be _something_. So that, that way, you can earn respect, if not affection.

But what you really want, in your heart of hearts, however much you might deny it to yourself and others, is someone who loves you, who will protect you, and always keep you safe. Someone who cares unconditionally, who will always be there, who will fight your corner and shield you from the rest of the world when you need it.

Someone who will hold you in their arms and shelter you from the storm.

* * *

The tragedy of this situation, Severus now admitted, that was when presented with his fiercest desires, his heart's true wish, as he was now, was that he might not be able to accept it. So completely convinced of his unsuitability as a mate, so incredulous over this young man's affections, he might throw away this chance. He couldn't let that happen, he saw that now, and silently thanked the Gods that he hadn't realised it too late.

"Harry...I'd be honoured." He replied softly.

"Good. Well, that settles it then. We'll be Harry and Severus Snape. Do you think a legal marriage will be required?" He asked, rising up and dusting off his knees before retaking his seat. Severus flushed a little, giving Harry a shy, well shy if you squinted, glance, and shuffling through the papers again.

"Hmm…doesn't say. I suppose we can ask when we get there. For now, let's just put those names down and see what the officials think when they review them. They're bound to let us know if something's missing or wrong. What about you two?" He asked, looking up at the two healers on the other side of the table.

Draco and Ron seemed to carry on a silent conversation for a few moments before speaking.

"I think we're good for now. We've discussed this already, and we _might _wish to be married in the future, but definitely not yet." Ron replied, and Draco nodded.

"To be frank, we both agreed that if we did marry, it would be for purely administrative reasons, tax and so on, as we both don't really believe that marriage would suit either of us." He explained, and Ron smiled. Impulsively, he lifted Draco's hand to his lips and pressed a warm kiss there.

Harry and Severus watched fondly, and the younger man felt moved to lean into his mate and rest his head on his shoulder for a moment. Taking in a deep breath and filling his lungs with the scent of his lover, Harry sighed in contentment. After a minute, he shook it off and sat back in his chair.

* * *

"So, that's Harry and Severus Snape, Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy, to see Minister Woodford. If you'll just wait one moment, I believe she is expecting you." Said the extremely polite assistant who had met them in anteroom adjoining the Minster's office.

Despite the pleasant atmosphere, and friendliness of the staff they'd interacted with so far, the four friends couldn't help but feel nervous and slightly anxious. The outcome of today's meeting was by no means guaranteed, and they had no firm ideas as to how the New Zealand Wizarding government intended to assist them, and what the ramifications of said help might be.

But they were here, having used a floo station in Nelson to the Ministry in Wellington, and they would see what would be offered. That was really all they could do, in a situation like this.

After a short amount of time, the assistant returned and ushered them in through the door she'd just emerged from with a bright smile.

On entering the room, all four were struck by how sunny and cheerful it was. Large, floor to ceiling windows covered three sides of the room, making it feel spacious and airy. There was a variety of plants and flowers scattered about, giving the room a feeling of life and renewal. Somehow this feeling permeated to the four men who had just walked in, a balm for their wounded souls.

New Zealand was not as old as England, and though its former colonial masters had not been a wholly positive influence on the country, (an understatement), it did not have the same sense of centuries old repression and its debris just lying about the place. It felt younger and more vibrant. And the four of them discovered that they would dearly wish to be a part of this place, and hoped that that wish would be granted by the woman now rising to greet them.

* * *

"Mr Snape, Mr Snape, Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy. A pleasure. I am Mariella Woodford. But please, call me Ella. The rest of my name is rather a mouthful. And 'Minister Woodford' just makes me feel old!" She declared, with a light chuckle, offering and shaking hands with each of them in turn.

Greetings were exchanged, where the four men asked to be addressed by their Christian names, which would save on confusion when it came to Harry and Severus.

"Right then. Down to business. We do indeed wish to offer you citizenship, and we can process that ASAP, and rush the paperwork through. I understand from my colleague that you will need to return to the United Kingdom in the near future." Here they nodded to confirm this. "And that there is a danger posed by your former allies and friends. Correct?" She asked and this time they nodded sadly. "Not to mention, the self styled 'Lord Voldemort', who is a former Hogwarts student, named Tom Riddle, am I right?" She asked and this time Severus confirmed it.

"That is correct Mini – _ahem, _Ella. I was once a Death Eater in his service and then later a spy for Albus Dumbledore and his 'Order of the Phoenix'." He stated and the Minister quirked an amused smile.

"Ah yes. The inestimable Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin First Class, Chief Warlock, and all that silly tosh! Hmm…I have heard a great deal about him. You know, we've never met, but he strikes me as the kind who would be perpetually smug. And highly irritating for it too!" She guessed with a laugh, and the others joined in, knowing just how true it was.

"But I digress. Now, we have some suggestions on how we may assist you on your visit to the United Kingdom, and then your return to New Zealand. However, having not been involved with any of these people before, we are basing our plans on a minimal amount of data. So, if we do a swap, and I'll hand these over to you four to review, and I'll take your forms…thank you. So, if you want to give those a look, and note any changes, and I'll just have these rushed through right now…please excuse me." She said, handing over the documents she held and taking their citizenship papers from Severus.

Just before she was about to head out of the door, Harry hailed her.

"Um, Ella? Severus and I were wondering, we want to share the same surname because we are soul bonded. Do we need a legal marriage to make it official, or will it suffice on its own?" He asked and she paused, considering it.

"Good question. I'm not sure…I think…hmm. Let me check, and I'll get back to you, okay?" She replied and Harry nodded turning back to the other three and the plans they were reviewing. Hearing the door click shut, he questioned them quietly.

"So what have we got?"

* * *

"All in all, it's pretty generous. They've offered to send a team of specialist bodyguard type people with us, and to have us stay in their consulate in London. Not the one attached to the muggle embassy, but a little further out from the centre." Ron told him, and Harry nodded, peering over his taller lover's shoulders to look at the sheet he was holding. Severus was lost in thought, and only noticed when Harry rested his pointy chin on his shoulder.

"Hey! Get your bony chin off my shoulder. That smarts!" He admonished softly. Harry merely chuckled and stuck his tongue out. "Oh, how mature!" Severus murmured, but belied his scolding by moving the paper closer to the younger man so he could see it.

" St John's Wood? Very upmarket!" Harry declared, earning him a laugh. He sat back, and crossed his arms. "So, what do we think?" He asked, looking between the faces of his three friends.

Despite having been caught up on recent events, he himself had not lived them, locked up as he was, and so he deferred to them to know whether this was sufficient or not.

"Very workable. I believe this will be more than adequate. And their protection will give us the time we need to find a way of fighting the Dark Lord. Not to mention the resources we may use to investigate the antidote to that potion." Draco decided and the others agreed. Severus was still flicking through the report while the younger men chatted quietly. A startled gasp brought their attention back to him, and they looked up to find him looking down at the page in front of him in shock.

"What is it Severus?" Harry demanded urgently, and the potions master seemed to shake himself out of whatever minor stupor he had been in. He glanced at his mate to see the worried frown and shook his head.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I was just surprised is all. It says here that they have a treatment for the lingering after affects of the Dementors. Listen,"

_"…Dementors have obvious effects on prisoners, these are numerous and well documented. What is not commonly known, due to the fact that most inmates die in their 'care', is that prolonged exposure causes a toxin to build up in the nervous system of prisoners. This has a wide ranging and long lasting effect if not treated correctly, as it can infect every cell in the patient's body, but seems to target the central nervous system in particular. It can weaken the immune system and also in some cases can lead to the onset of epilepsy. A course of potions will correct this…" _

"And it goes on to describe the medications and dosage, etcetera." Severus closed the file and placed it back on the Minister's desk.

"Well." Said Ron.

"Epilepsy?" Protested Harry weakly, wondering what else could possibly go wrong in his life, and if he would ever be able to put _that place_ behind him.

"Now Pot-I mean _Snape, _don't go worrying yourself about this too much. We know about it now, I'm sure we've caught it in time, and we'll treat it. End of story." Draco declared, in a no-nonsense voice.

Harry smiled softly and nodded, not trusting his voice just then. He gave into his desire to rest his head on Severus' shoulder, and the other man could not find it in himself to deny his lover the comfort, no matter how much he abhorred public displays of affection. Not that they were very public just then, he assured himself whilst he wrapped an arm around Harry's back and pulled him closer.

* * *

"Okey-dokey! That's all done and dusted." The slightly too chirpy voice of the Minister of Magic interrupted them as Ella breezed back into her office, pausing for a moment and retaking her seat. "Gentlemen! You're now official citizens. Welcome to New Zealand! This calls for champagne all round!"

They all laughed and cheered a little, while Ella motioned her assistant to come forward with the drinks. She also advised them that they did not need to be legally married to change their names, well for Harry to change his, but that they were welcome to if they wished to. The two men elected to wait, both agreeing that their soul bond was quite enough to be getting on with for now.

Severus cornered the Minister at one point during the impromptu party, and questioned her about the potions needed to treat the Dementor toxin. And Draco and Ron queried the assistant about practically everything there was to know about being citizens!

While all this was going on, Harry sat in his chair, deep in thought. Though he still had the slight feeling of dread about their return, he also felt that they were as prepared as they could be.

At least now, it felt more like there would be something to come back to.

_If_ he came back that was.

* * *

**Please review! The 200th reviewer gets to read the next chapter a day early! **

**Next chapter will be called: _The Return _**


	14. The Return

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter, or anything else you recognise.**

**A/N: So, no 200th reviewer, but never mind. Just means that everyone gets to read this at the same time. I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long, but inspiration has been lacking. So if anyone has any ideas, or anything they would like to be included, please do let me know and I'll do my best. Thanks for the reviews though, as they are always welcome and greatly appreciated. Special thanks as always to DCoD. And to **LightningFuryStrike13 **for bringing up a very valid point. I've tried to work that in here, as it needed explaining.**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen – The Return

* * *

"The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it."

**Woodrow Wilson (1856 - 1924)**

* * *

Harry, Severus, Draco and Ron were making a mad dash along the concourse at Wellington International Airport. Portkeying across such a vast distance was not only tricky but also traceable. Oh sure, it was fine for one person, hence why Remus Lupin was able to visit that way, but their new found friends at the government just didn't want to risk it. They had even scolded them slightly for arranging the portkey which brought the werewolf from England, but had let it go without too much fuss.

So, they were flying with _Air New Zealand_ to Auckland, then from there onto Dubai, where they would be for four days. Then from Dubai they were flying with _Emirates_ to London Heathrow. It was quite the journey. Though they had decided to have a stop over because they had all found the non stop journey on the way over was too much.

Overall, it did add more hours onto their trip, but they felt the gap in between more than made up for that. Plus, Draco and Severus had always wanted to go to Dubai, and though Harry and Ron had never given it much thought before now, they too were looking forward to their brief glimpse of a new country.

Harry was especially looking forward to their stopover, as they had a large suite at a lovely hotel, _Le Meridien Dubai_. It was fairly quiet, only two storeys high, with lovely gardens and only five minutes from the airport. Which was a definite plus point if today was anything to go by.

While the workers at the New Zealand Ministry were polite, fast and efficient, their go between for the muggle travel agent which booked all the flights, hotels etc. was new, and was having trouble with one of the girls at the agency who didn't like her, and so decided it would be a fun to be as inefficient as possible. As such, though all the bookings were made on time, their tickets were delayed. And delayed, and delayed, _and delayed_…

They eventually had to be faxed to the airline's ticket desk in the airport itself. Which meant they had to run to check in, dash past the queues at security, whilst assuring the staff there that they had no liquids or sharp objects, etc. Or that most deadly weapon known to mankind – The Emery Board.

So now, they were on their way to the gate, where the irritated guy from dispatch was calling out, "_This is a final boarding call for passengers, Snape, Snape, Malfoy and Weasley, travelling on Air _ _New Zealand__ flight NZ457 to _ _Auckland__. Please make your way immediately to gate number 17, where the aircraft is ready to depart…" _

Harry was determinedly repressing the thought that this was a bad omen.

_Oh_ _yes indeedy. _

* * *

The flight was a most flights are.

Good as flights go, but irritating and annoying, and frankly damn uncomfortable. Harry idly wondered if there was anyone in the world who especially _enjoyed_ air travel. Someone who actually went out of their way to deliberately take as many flights as possible, for the sheer fun factor.

He really didn't think so. After all, aren't there _so _many other things that a body would rather do? Such as…go to the pub! Or have all your teeth pulled. He had to admit that take off was quite a thrill, but it was over really quickly, and then after that, there was hours of boring, boring, boring! Yawn, yawn, _yawn._

Sure there were in flight films and such. However, watching a film that was already _slightly_ questionable as to its appeal on the big screen, on a screen smaller than a shoe with dodgy headphones was _not_ his idea of entertainment.

Perhaps he was the exception and everyone else thought it was fantastic, but he kind of doubted it. Severus had given up long ago and seemed to have willed himself into a semi conscious stupor, ignoring everyone and everything around him. Harry was of the belief that his lover had smuggled in some valium and was wondering where he was hiding it and why he hadn't offered it round.

He didn't remember it being this bad on the way _to _ New Zealand. He thought about that for a second. Perhaps it was worse this time because they were headed somewhere he didn't really want to go? That put a huge damper on things. As one might expect, of course.

* * *

Their stay in Dubai was alright, quiet and all. But since they were all pretty tense to begin with, they found relaxing by the pool didn't hold that much value. So it was that they arrived at London Heathrow, tired, weary and pretty cheesed off.

They were met at the airport by representatives from the New Zealand wizarding government's consulate, and quickly ushered through Her Majesty's Customs. When they arrived at the consulate itself, they were too tired to go over any of the plans their new Ministry had made, and so settled in for a nice long sleep.

* * *

"Gentlemen? There's a Remus Lupin here to see you. You do have him down on your approved list, so would you like me to show him on in?"

Mariella Woodford had seen to every detail it seemed.

Or perhaps it was her assistant. Who knew? But anyway, they had their own attaché-personal-helper-lady, or whatever, who took care of _everything_. For four men used to a measure of independence, it was taking some adjusting to having their lives so _organised._ Well, organised by somebody else, in a good way that was.

Stella, their um, person-helper-thingy, would listen very carefully to their needs, opinions and preferences, and work their schedule around them. Not that they had much of a schedule right now, but it's the thought that counts. It was nothing like Dumbledore's brand of '_organising_', and that was all they cared about.

They'd been in London for a week now, and were fairly acclimatised to the change in weather and time zones. And they were also apprised of the local news, which wasn't much or very interesting: **_Harry Potter: Innocent, Harry Potter: Missing, Voldemort: Attacking Muggles and Wizards, Voldemort: Are We All Doomed? _**And other exciting news items.

There were also piles and piles of documents, relating details about their situation, the first rise of Voldemort, Hogwarts and its teachers, the Order of the Phoenix, and all of _them _as well. The list went on. The intelligence services of their new government had clearly done their homework. And no wonder, given the way things stood in the world just then.

"I guess it kind of makes sense. I did sort of wonder why they helped us so easily…" Ron had said when they'd found the files with their names on them.

"I suppose so. I want to feel insulted, and I do a little bit. But I also appreciate the value of a people that do their research before making a judgement." Harry said with a pensive look on his face. Then he smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck to ease the ache which had developed there from reading for so long. "Bit of a novelty really." He added and the others nodded slowly.

* * *

Harry was jolted out of his remembrances by Severus instructing Stella to show Remus in. He was excited to see his friend. Even though it had been a short time since they last met, he was anxious to know the werewolf was alright, and to hear what had been happening with the Order and the school.

He exchanged a speaking glance with his mate, and waited for Remus to arrive. When Harry's former teacher entered the room, the younger man gave into impulse and rose from his seat to give him a big hug. When he let go, he started examining the slightly shocked man for any sign of injury or trauma. Chuckling a little when he realised Harry's intent, Remus pulled his hands off him and held him back.

"Harry, I'm fine! A little tired maybe, but otherwise OK. What's gotten into you hmm?" He said softly. Harry pulled him back into a tight hug for a moment, revelling in the warmth and paternal love he felt from this man, before letting go and making his way back to his seat beside Severus.

Not forgetting his manners, he waved Remus to a seat and offered refreshment before answering.

"I fear I've been letting my imagination run away with itself, imagining all kinds of horror invading the corridors of Hogwarts. I realise it's rather ridiculous, but I can't help it. I needed to reassure myself that you were alright and unharmed." Again, Remus was slightly taken aback, but only for a moment, and then the surprised look left his face and was replaced by a pleased smile.

"Well, thank you for caring so much about this old wolf. But as I said, I _am _fine. In fact, despite my own imaginings of nefarious plots and dastardly deeds, things have been pretty quiet." The others let out a snort.

"Gryffindors! No need to be so dramatic Lupin." Severus declared with a lopsided smile. Remus thankfully was not shocked this time, as his brief stay at their home helped him become accustomed to this more human side of the potions master. "_Dastardly deeds!" _Snape repeated with a snort, and this time the others laughed out loud.

"I am glad you're all back though. I know you've only been away less than two months, but I'm afraid the Minister is pushing for you to be arrested and detained in some way." Remus said, with a worried frown.

"Arrested? On what charge?" Harry demanded, livid. "How can I commit a crime when I'm not even in the bloody country!?" He stuck out a hand to Severus, needing the contact to soothe him.

"Indeed. I am curious also. What does Scrimgeour believe Harry is guilty of? And does he intend to target the rest of us as well?" Snape wanted to know, squeezing Harry's hand in reassurance. Remus sighed audibly.

"As of right now, I don't think even Scrimgeour himself knows. When the announcement of your departure was made, everyone looked to him to tell them what we should do now, and he was not prepared for that. Which is rather stupid, since he is supposed to be the protector and leader of the people." He said with a smile.

"One would have thought he could have predicted that." Draco said with a smirk and the others agreed. They were quiet though, waiting for Lupin to tell them what he knew.

"Well, being stupidly under prepared he did what most petty men in his position would do – he lashed out at the most easily accessible target – Harry. He said that the Boy-Who-Lived had abandoned us in our darkest hour, and that he should be tracked down to face justice. The last I heard, he was trying to accuse you of High Treason." Remus said, looking at his de facto godson with a grimace.

"Is anyone taking him seriously?" Snape asked with a sneer, though the werewolf didn't take offence as he knew it wasn't directed at him personally. Lupin nodded.

"About half the Wizengamot." Remus paused. "_Including Dumbledore._" He whispered, and the four men almost didn't hear him.

"Ah." Said Harry, not really that surprised. Dumbledore was ever the fair-weather friend.

"You don't look surprised." Said Ron, and Harry shrugged.

"Are you?" He asked, and the red head snorted.

"Not really. But then, it's not as if they can arrest us on those terms anymore." He said, leaning back in his chair, absently taking possession of one of Draco's hands, and gently kneading it. Draco didn't seem to mind, and a contented smile spread across his face.

"Pardon me?" Remus said, looking between his four friends.

"My dear Lupin. We _have _been remiss in our duties as friends. Let us catch you up on current events before you continue with your own reports. We have been naturalised by the New Zealand Wizarding government. Therefore Scrimgeour no longer has any authority over us in such matters. We are obliged to follow the laws of this country while visiting, but one cannot commit treason against a country of which he is not a citizen." Draco said, and Remus sat back a moment to consider this new development.

"But you _were _a citizen when you left, so he may still arrest you." He protested.

"I would like to see him try." Said a new voice, and Remus shifted round to regard a tall man, who spoke with a noticeable New Zealand accent. On closer inspection, he found the man to be rather nondescript. Average height, average build, average looks…almost as if he were a carbon copy of a person and not a real one. How…disturbing.

"Oh, Remus this is Archie. He's our minder-babysitter person." Said Harry and 'Archie' rolled his eyes.

"Thank you for so flattering a job description Mr Snape." He murmured and poor old Remus looked confused.

"Um, Mr Snape? What's going on here? Has Severus learned how to throw his voice?" He asked weakly, not sure if his heart could take any more shocks, though Moony disagreed. He was greatly enjoying all the excitement, telling his human counterpart that they hadn't had this much fun in years. Remus believed Moony was a bit warped.

"Yes. Goodness. It seems a lot has happened in the short time we've been apart. Harry and Severus are soul mates. After they bonded, Harry changed his name." Draco explained, rather bluntly. The two men in question shot him scolding glares, before turning back to a flabbergasted Remus.

"_S-Soul b-b-bonded!?!_" He practically screeched, his eyes as wide as saucers. Harry glanced at his friends, alarmed. He really hoped Remus was going to have apoplexy.

"Ah, are you OK Remy?" Harry asked, getting up out of his chair and walking over to check on him. Kneeling down in front of the werewolf, Harry placed his hands on the arms of his chair and looked up into his red face. Ron and Draco got up as well, but the werewolf shook his head at them, refusing their professional help.

"Fine, fine…" Remus said, his voice hoarse, waving away Harry's offer of support. "Just give me a minute." He said, trying to get his breath back. Harry rose and looked back over his shoulder at his mate, who merely raised an eyebrow and shrugged. Realising that there wasn't much else he could do, other than let Remus sort himself out, Harry handed him a glass of water and returned to his seat.

"Lupin?" Snape prompted after a protracted silence. Remus looked up from his prone position in his chair, to see all eyes were on him, and they were all concerned. Even that Archie fellow looked a bit worried.

"I'm OK, I'm OK. It was just a shock. Not everyday you find out something like this. Soul bonds are _rare_, and for good reason too. But still, now the surprise has worn off, congratulations! I couldn't think of two men more worthy of such a union." He said, rather formal in his felicitations. Sensing this, Harry and Severus acknowledged the werewolf's sentiments with nods, almost half bows. Archie decided this would be a good time to cut in with his report, since the four English wizards seemed to be at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed.

"Mr Lupin, I trust you are now aware of the naturalisation of these gentlemen as citizens of New Zealand. Despite Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II being our head of state, the magical community has no extradition agreements with the United Kingdom, as we do not fall under her jurisdiction, not the House of Representatives. Therefore, Rufus Scrimgeour can huff and puff as much as he likes, he will not blow our house down." The last was said with a smug smile, with a slightly anticipatory gleam in Archie's eyes. It seemed as if he was _looking forward_ to knocking heads with the British Ministry.

"Well, Mr, um, Archie, that is reassuring. But may I ask, why did your government naturalise them so quickly? Not to disparage my friends, but they do each have something of a…reputation." He flicked an apologetic glance at Harry, and was relived to find no reproach there. Clearly, they'd been over this before. Even so, he would like to hear it for himself.

"An important point, Mr Lupin. And one without a simple answer. But to put it as clearly as I can…we wanted to steal them for ourselves. All four have important skills, and our community would like them to be employed in our favour. We did our research and found out the truth behind the things they have been accused of over the years, and are satisfied with our findings. We also hope that their example will lead more talented folk who find the climate here oppressive to apply for immigration rights. Our community is small, and decaying. Not so much that you would notice it now, but we _are _few. We need new blood." Archie paused to assess the results of his explanation and was pleased to see none of them were taking it badly. "We help them, they help us. It's a win-win situation." He sat back, arms crossed, ready to defend his position if necessary, though it really didn't seem like it would be.

"But, we're both homosexual couples. We won't be having children of our own. So we really can't bring that much to the community by way of genetic diversity or enrichment." Harry protested and Archie smiled.

"True. But blood adoptions are possible, if that is route you wish to go down, then we have agencies that would be more than willing to help. And also, as I said earlier, our treatment of you, your experiences as citizens, may provoke others into considering their own situations, and then contacting us. As much as we would like to maintain our secrecy here, you know that that is impossible when it comes to men of your public prominence. People will find out, and people will talk." He replied and Harry sat back, considering.

"Well, it makes sense. Almost makes me want to follow you guys." Remus said quietly and Archie smiled.

"All you have to do is ask Mr Lupin. Werewolves are not persecuted by the government in my country. They are not a thing to be feared, though as with anything, there are always dissenters. However, Wolfsbane is available on free prescription from your healer, and is always of the highest quality. I am sure Professor Snape could tell something of this, though perhaps this is not the time."

"Yes perhaps. But later…?" Remus asked, a kind of desperate hope animating his face more than it had been for a long time. A life free of institutionalised oppression? It was a tantalising and heady thing.

"Yes, definitely. Later. For now, could you brief us on matters at Hogwarts? I believe you are currently employed there?" He asked, though it was more of a statement. Remus nodded.

* * *

"So, where to begin? Hogwarts has been strange. I walk around there sometimes, and I often feel as though I'm hiding from imaginary shadows. This whole affair has been so cloak and dagger, that I find myself yearning for an enemy I can meet face to face. Out in the open. I know Moony agrees with me. Huh. But anyway, since finding out about the contaminant and its effects, Albus seems to have descended into a form of denial. He acts as though he is infallible, and, that there is no way he could be infected. But then he remembers how he failed Harry, and he questions himself again. I don't know if he has some kind of defence mechanism that he's built out of his own delusions, or if he _is _infected and the potion kicks in and tells him not to be silly, and that he did the right thing in suspecting Harry." He looked very helpless, and very tired just then, and Harry got out of his chair, and pulled Remus up as well.

Ignoring the other man's protests, he pulled him into a hug, and would not let go. He looked over his shoulder again and Severus and silently thanked him. Thanked Severus for caring about him and bringing him to such a point where he _could _hug his godfather and not feel awkward. He felt for a moment like his love for his mate could light up the whole world. And then scoffed at himself in his head about how sappy he was being. Remus pulled back, and Harry released him.

They both retook their seats, and were glad none of the other men in the room said anything. All five of them knew it was just one of those things that you don't make a big song and dance over. Remus took a sip of the water Harry poured earlier, and then resumed his narrative.

"So, people have been acting more or less the way you might expect them to. Harry's innocence shocked a lot of people and has been the cause of a lot of arguments and fights. And some soul searching too, I would say. There's been Order meeting and things, though they've degenerated pretty quickly into fights about whose fault all this is. No one seems to want to own up to anything. You know about Scrimgeour and his plans, and I'd say about a quarter of the Order agree with him. Other than that, not much else is going on with them. Though, I have noticed that some of the other professors have been meeting in secret. I don't know what it's about, as they haven't invited me." He paused for a moment, and Severus pulled some parchment and a quill towards himself.

"Which professors?" He asked, and Remus thought for a moment.

"Flitwick, Sprout, McGonagall, Vector, Sinistra and Pomfrey. They don't say much when I'm around, but my hearing is acute enough to know they've been meeting." He replied and Severus wrote the names down.

"Hmm…Filius was always one to make his own mind up about things before jumping. Same as Vector and Sinistra. They kept out of the business of Harry's trial completely. Claimed they didn't know him and so couldn't be of help. Which is true, sort of. Poppy has always gone her own way too, I was surprised she believed in Harry's guilt so easily. As for Pomona, she was pretty damn quiet when Harry was arrested. But Minerva…I thought she was Dumbledore's pawn through and through." He mused aloud, and Harry looked at the parchment interestedly.

"So, you think there may be some connection here, between these meetings and the circumstances surrounding the framing of the then Mr Potter?" Archie questioned, and Severus nodded.

"Most definitely. Filius, Vector and Sinistra remained neutral. It's true they didn't know Harry, for all that Filius taught him for five years. But Harry's always been good in Charms, just like Lily, and so had minimal input from the teacher, because he didn't need it. Sinistra's class is not very hands on either, and Vector never had him for Arithmancy. You should have taken that instead of Divination you know." He said in an aside to Harry, who chuckled, and agreed before looking over the staff members names again.

"I think Madame Pomfrey must have been dosed. She may have been annoyed at the way I always got in trouble, but I don't think she would have believed me to be a killer. She just...sometimes when I was in the Hospital Wing, and she thought I was asleep, I would find her watching over me, or singing a lullaby." He admitted sheepishly. Remus smiled warmly.

"It makes sense, she is your godmother you know." He explained and Harry gaped at him.

"She is? But why did she never say anything? And why didn't she take me in when Mum and Dad died?" Harry demanded, annoyed at the MediWitch now.

"I don't know Harry. I think you'll have to ask her." He replied, ashamed of _himself_ for not being there for Harry when Lily and James died. Severus read this in his face, and shook his head, warning the werewolf that now was not the time to ask for absolution.

"We're getting off track. So, Flitwick, Vector and Sinistra are probably clean. Pomfrey was probably dosed, though it's most likely worn off now, and it has probably not been topped up. I doubt these meetings are about throwing Harry back in prison. What do we think about Sprout and McGonagall?" Asked Ron, looking around at the other wizards.

"I believe that Sprout may have been dosed as well. My theory is though, that the person who controlled her told her to keep her head down, rather than throw around accusations, as it would be out of character for her, and might be questioned. In hindsight, the brewer probably realises that no one was paying enough attention at the time to _care _if anyone was behaving oddly, other than Potter that is, but they strike me as the type who would have planned ahead for that kind of thing anyway." Said Draco and Ron nodded in agreement.

"That just leaves Minerva. I _wonder._" Said Severus softly, tapping his chin with one finger, lost in thought.

"What do you wonder Severus?" Harry asked, and his mate slowly turned towards him.

"Well, what do we know? Minerva has always been one for the rules. And it's easy to see why. Transfiguration is not only difficult, it is dangerous as well. She tries to impress this upon her students, much as I am strict with mine to ensure they pay attention in my classroom." He got up to pace. "_However_, you Mr Snape." He said, pointing at Harry, before resuming his pacing. "Are a rule breaker. Something which she _detests._ And however brave and selfless you have been, and despite the numerous lives you have saved in the process, you have broken a _tremendous _number of rules since you first went to Hogwarts. If it was any other student, Minerva would have had serious words with the Headmaster about the serious neglect on his part, when it came to your safety. Her students always come first, believe me, of all people, I know." He paused, ceasing his pacing. "But, it appears, she _hasn't. _Strange, is it not? And out of character. But here is the real problem: was she dosed, _obliviated, _or both? And if she was, by who? Our mysterious brewer, or our noble Headmaster?"

* * *

There was silence in the room, before the others spoke.

"That's…quite frightening actually. What makes you say that Severus?" Asked Remus and Snape grimaced.

"I was his spy, and also his confidant - to a point. He 'saved' me from my own destruction after I became a Death Eater, so he believed he owned me. He thought the hold he had over me – namely taking me from Azkaban and keeping me from going there again, meant that I would not betray his trust. And I haven't, until now. I think it is highly likely that Minerva received a double dose; one from the Headmaster and one from our brewer, who, let's face is, it probably Hermione Weasley." He replied.

"Sirius had just come from her quarters, or so he said." Remus said and the others remembered.

"How is he?" Asked Harry, and Remus shrugged.

"I don't know. Not ill, certainly. At least, not yet. I've tried not to displace any of the beliefs she gave him. I figured if he wasn't fighting it, it would do less damage and that she wouldn't dose him again. I've mainly been keeping out of his way, trying not to get into a long conversation. With limited success unfortunately, since we still go for walks most evenings. But I don't think I've aggravated anything." He told them, and Harry sighed.

"I see a problem here gentlemen." Archie cut in and Severus laughed.

"Just one?" He questioned, and Archie smiled in return.

"Fair point. That aside though, why have we come back? To solve this potion problem, and then Voldemort. I believe the first is going to be easier than the latter, so perhaps we should focus on that? In that case, we need a subject to study, so that we can work on an antidote. Any ideas on how to get one?" He demanded, looking at each face in turn.

"Ideally, any entanglement with the British Ministry or the Order of Phoenix should be avoided. However, we do need to be realistic. If we are to have any chance at either goal, we will need their help. Both of them." Said Draco, and Ron snorted.

"Or we could just kidnap Black and blame it on Death Eaters." He suggested half-heartedly. When he saw the thoughtful faces, he sat back in his chair and shook his head. "No way guys, we can't do a thing like that!" He declared.

"Well, I don't know. The idea does have merit." Severus began, a sly smile on his face.

"It _would _give us time to work on the antidote." Offered Harry.

"_And_, it would give us a position of power to work from when dealing with Dumbledore and the Order." Said Draco.

"And the British Ministry." Added Archie. Ron looked around and sighed.

"I just had to open my big mouth didn't I?" He mourned, leaning into his lover as he offered an arm in comfort.

"There, there love. I know, you're just a misunderstood genius." Draco murmured to him.

* * *

"Albus! Albus!" Remus Lupin dashed through the halls of the school, screaming for the Headmaster. Students jumped out of his way, frightened by the sight of the severely agitated man. He moved so fast he was almost a blur.

Remus rounded the corner and faced the gargoyle which guarded the Headmaster's office. Yelling out the password, he stepped onto the stairs and tried to get his breath back. Once at the top, he threw the door open, and shouted for Dumbledore again, and nearly jumped out of his skin when a soft voice hailed him.

"Remus my boy, what happened?" He asked quickly, and Remus stuttered with hysteria.

"Albus! It's Sirius! They've taken him…oh Merlin! Sirius!" He practically keened the last note, falling to his knees on the cold stone floor. Dumbledore was taken aback. His eyes quickly assessed the physical state of his Defence teacher.

His robes were in tatters, not that they had been much before. But now they showed large holes and scorch marks, as if he'd been cursed. He was also bruised and battered, with cuts showing on his face and hands. Clearly, he'd been attacked.

Moving swiftly to the fireplace, he threw in a handful of Floo powder and told Madame Pomfrey to prepare for a patient. Levitating the werewolf off his floor, he sent him through the Floo, where Poppy would catch him at the other end. When he arrived himself, she already had him in a bed and was pouring potions down his throat.

It was some time later, that Remus was in a more stable condition and able to describe what had occurred that evening. The potions were making him a bit groggy, but he was coherent enough that Dumbledore could understand him.

He and Sirius had been out for their normal walk, he said, and as they neared the edge of the lake, figures in black robes and white masks appeared out of nowhere and attacked them. There had been too many to defend themselves against, and Remus had been knocked unconscious after suffering an unknown number of curses. When he awoke, Sirius was gone, with no sign as to what had happened to him.

Dumbledore swore under his breath. He did not need this now! People would start asking questions, wanting to mount rescue missions and other such wastes of time. They would want to know how the attackers got through the wards.

He snorted inwardly. Well, that one was easy enough to solve. A student could have let them in, and Merlin knew they had enough students with Death Eater parents on the grounds! Had they known Sirius and Remus would be there? Or had it just been chance that members of the Order had walked past them at that time? And if so, why did they leave Lupin? Or maybe they left him for dead?

Dumbledore swore under his breath. He _really _did not need this now.

* * *

"Well?"

" Mission accomplished sir."


	15. Sirius Black

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or anything else you recognise. **

**A/N: Grr! Stupid update emails are not going out!**

**Thanks for all the reviews on the previous chapter! Thanks to DCoD for being supportive and helpful. Bit shorter this time, as it felt like the right place to stop. I used ** **Aurora**** as Sinistra's name as it was a suggestion I got from the HP Lexicon. I couldn't think of one, and I thought it would fit nicely. Sorry if it feels a bit rushed, but I wanted to get it finished, so I sat down and put my Rachmaninov on and typed away. I think I have a blister on my thumb now though. : (**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen – Sirius Black

* * *

"When they discover the centre of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it."

**Bernard Bailey**

* * *

Sirius opened his eyes, and then immediately closed them, the light blinding them for a moment and making his head ache. He tried to talk, but found his throat was scratchy.

Where was he? How did he get here? He opened his eyes again, and though it was still far too bright, he kept them open, looking for clues as to his whereabouts.

What had happened to him?

He could remember…darkness, shouts, black robes, and white masks…Death Eaters!

Merlin! He had been abducted by Death Eaters. But wait a minute? Why was he still in one piece? And why was he in a bright place? Surely he should be in someone's dungeon, being tortured. Not that he was asking for it or anything, but still…

Maybe they were getting him healthy so he would last longer in their 'care'...

Bugger. He would admit it, he was scared. He might, or probably _would _die here. And to think, he would never get to see Harry again, and tell him how much he lov-

Wait a minute…_where did that thought come from?_ Love? Harry? Did he?

Like a son. But…he was a murderer, wasn't he? Oh, his memory was so _cloudy!_ When he tried to think about it, he got confused. What the bloody hell was going on with him? Why was he in such a mess? Fuck! Now was not the time to get himself into a state, he had to plan. Think of an escape, and then, when he was away from here, he could think about the confusing stuff. Yes, that was the thing to do here.

_Harry was framed. _

The stray thought floated across his mind, and he grasped it, trying to make sense. Yes…he could recall…a pensieve. _Veritaserum_. Snape! And Harry…._Harry! _

"Good Morning, Sirius."

* * *

"We've got to do _something_! We can't just leave him there while they do who knows what to him!" Hermione screamed at Dumbledore, waving her arms around and annoyed that he remained so implacably unaffected by her histrionics. _Damn the man._ And he seemed to be watching his food and drink a lot more than usual lately, so she hadn't been able to give him his top up.

Could she have been discovered? She scoffed inwardly. There was _no way_ any of these mental midgets would have been able to work it out. The only one who could have was Severus, and he was gone. Off shagging that disgusting Potter no doubt. They hadn't come back yet, and she was a little surprised by that.

She would have thought Potter would be here immediately upon receiving his pardon, so he could gloat and take over like he usually did. She brushed that thought aside for the moment. Most likely Potter was too stupid to see what an advantage he'd had then, and let it pass him by. Truly, he was nothing without her guidance.

Sirius' kidnapping was troubling though. Since their _fortuitous _meeting several weeks ago, he had become her staunchest supporter. She needed him back! Though she didn't want to go after him herself, oh no. Dumbledore and his lackeys should be the ones to do it, _they _were dispensable, after all.

But it didn't seem as though the old man was going to go for it. _Perhaps Remus?_ Or did the wolf make him too unpredictable? Maybe he just needed a bit of _persuasion…_

* * *

"So, has the mutt finally woken up?" Draco asked, adding sugar to his coffee and stirring. Severus, who had joined him at the breakfast table, nodded and picked up his own coffee – black, no sugar, and sneered slightly at the other man's cup. But then, that was the way Draco had always taken his coffee; black as the Devil and sweet as sin. Just like himself at times, though he was glad the Weasley boy was the only one who got to experience Draco's sinful side. There were some things a godfather did not want or need to know about their godson.

"Yes, I believe he regained consciousness this morning. Harry and Ronald are with him now, though I do believe Archie has concealed himself in the room somewhere, in case he should be needed." Severus replied, wondering what was being said between the three former friends.

"Just in case Black decides to go spacco and attack them, you mean?" Draco asked with a snort, and Snape regarded him with a slight sneer.

"As much as you scold Ronald for his use of vulgar language, it appears to be rubbing off on you Draco. Honestly, _spacco_? One assumes from the context that you suppose Black's state of mind will be confused, and his temper volatile." He sniffed and the blond shrugged.

"I would imagine so. How could it not be? But since your antidote has removed the compulsions which were placed on him, it will probably take a while for him to sort out which are his feelings, and which _aren't_. It _is_ curious though." Draco frowned, slightly worried.

"Oh?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow in query. His godson blinked warily.

"Well, it just makes me wonder. How much was Black, and how much was the one who poisoned him?" He said quietly and saw the flash of emotion in the older man's eyes. He knew already that he wasn't the only one who was concerned, but he also knew that there wasn't much they could do about it. He and Severus, while each was bonded to their own Gryffindor, were on the periphery of this particular problem. They could offer support and counsel, but not much more than that.

"Indeed. Black was never the forward thinker, even when blessed with mental clarity. His emotions, such as they are, would forever hijack him, and cause him to overreact." Snape sighed softly as he remembered their encounters in his youth.

There was a moment of silence, which both men noticed was decidedly _un_comfortable.

"Yes, well. I believe Archie has concealed himself in the room somewhere, in case he should be needed." Severus reiterated.

"Right, of course. Archie." Draco muttered, not envying his lover or friend their task of trying to make sense of Sirius Black.

* * *

"Ha-_Harry_?" Sirius stuttered weakly, not seeming to be able to take in the sight before him. Especially considering the confused meandering of his mind just moments before.

"Yes. It's me. I imagine you must be in a bit of jumble right now. It's OK, I wouldn't blame you if you were. You've been…well, I think _poisoned_ is the best word for it, for quite some time now. Years, I would guess." Harry tried to deliver all this in a calm manner, and thought he succeeded to a point. His nerves were frazzled though, and the tension which had been rapidly climbing since Sirius had awoken and he'd announced himself, was beginning to get to him.

"_What?" _Sirius protested. "I-I've been poisoned? How? And who by? Just wait 'til I…NO! Hang on, you're a MURDERER! Why should I believe you? But then…you're innocent right…Oh Harry, I just…" He buried his face in his hands, overwhelmed for the minute by the internal struggle between how the contaminant had warped his beliefs and his own, rational logic.

Harry ached to rush forward and comfort his godfather, but wasn't sure if his touch would do more harm than good right now. He flicked a glance at Ron, who was off to one side, and the redhead nodded.

Ron stepped a bit closer and slowly drew his wand, simultaneously, Harry drew back, towards the corner where he knew Archie was watching.

"Sirius, I want you to listen to me. Focus on my voice." Ron paused, waiting for the distraught man's hunched shoulders to relax. "That's better, now, turn around, and look at me. Come on Sirius, it's Ron, you know me." He waited once more, and slowly, the other man turned towards him. "Well done Sirius. Now, I'm going to cast a charm on you, don't worry! It's just something to calm you down, and help you concentrate so you can work out the truth of all this, alright?" He asked, wanting permission.

Oh, he would cast the charm either way, but if Black would give his consent, then they were already one significant step down the long road they believed their unwilling guest needed to travel.

After what seemed like an infinitesimal pause, Padfoot slowly nodded, but kept a wary eye on the healer, just in case he tried anything funny. Ron smiled, and cast the charm, emphasising his movements so it would be evident that all he was casting was the spell Sirius had agreed to.

"Thank you Sirius. I should imagine you'll be feeling more in control now. So, how _do _you feel? I expect this has all been quite traumatic for you." Ron asked, moving closer slowly, and, not receiving any protests, sat at the opposite end of the bed from the frazzled former Auror.

"I…Frankly, I'm a fucking mess. So, you reckon someone's been drugging me? Who? And what were they trying to do?" He demanded, looking between the redhead and over to Harry who was still keeping a cautious distance.

His eyes remained on Harry, and when the younger man noticed this, he took a few steps closer, before stopping and closing his eyes briefly. Gathering his thoughts and calming himself down a little, Harry opened them again and gazed steadily into Sirius' haunted blue eyes.

"We _know_ someone has been poisoning you, as we tested your blood and found the drug in there. Before you start shouting, when someone noticed you were behaving oddly, they obtained a sample of your blood and sent it to be tested. Various events led the information into our hands, and we discovered the contaminant. From there, it was decided that we needed the pleasure of your company in order to create an antidote. So, we took you, made the potion we needed, and now, we've given you the antidote. From what our potions master says, you will be rather disorientated for quite some time. We don't know how long. But, eventually, you should be able to sort through the false memories and feelings, and be able to discard them for your real ones." Here he paused, gathering himself once more.

"And, that's where I come in. I can help, as can Draco. We are more than happy to be your healers and aid your recovery in any way we can." The youngest Weasley son smiled encouragingly at Sirius, who managed a tentative smile in acceptance.

"Thank you. It's a lot to take in. But thanks for the spell as well, it…well, it helps to sort of, accept this. Merlin! I can't believe someone has been fucking around with my head! Who knows how long they've been up to it? You didn't say though, Harry, who it is or anything." He said, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck, something the two men knew he only did in situations of extreme agitation.

"That's because we don't know. We have suspicions, but nothing concrete." His godson replied, stepping closer once more.

"I see. And your innocence. That was all true? No, don't answer. I should have known at the time. Why the hell didn't I _do _something?" Sirius began pacing, shouting at all and sundry. Though none of the three men, one of them still hidden, believed he meant it against any of them personally. "You are no killer! I should have known! Why didn't I know?" He cried, anguish evident in his face and the slump of his shoulders.

Harry decided that this time, his touch would probably be beneficial. So, willing to give the other man the benefit of the doubt, in his heart, Harry forgave him. Who knew how much was the potion and how much was Sirius' own fears? He realised then, that it didn't really matter anymore, at least not in that moment, and not faced with such a figure of contrition. He walked forwards, and pulled the sobbing man into his arms.

"I'm sorry! I…I'm so, so sorry…" His parent's best friend choked on his tears, sobbing his broken and bruised heart out. Harry muttered soothing nonsense to him, and continued to hold him.

Ron and Archie simply stayed silent, knowing that this was something the two of them needed for themselves.

* * *

It was a motley group who met the two Slytherins in the dining room for lunch later that day. Sirius had recovered somewhat from the emotional upheaval of the morning, as had Harry, though the two of them were still rather quiet and contemplative.

Ron was pretty cheerful, and practically launched himself at Draco, who didn't put up much more than a token resistance against his partner's enthusiastic greetings. He was slightly taken aback at the redhead's sudden clinginess, but just put it down to the need for reassurance after such a trying interview. Knowing his lover the way he did, he knew that that was pretty much all it was, so there was no need for real worry.

Severus took the opportunity to study both his lover and his lover's guardian, checking for signs of any lasting damage as they shuffled into the room for their noon meal. Neither seemed injured in any way, outwardly at least. But both showed the strain their reunion had put on them, and he made a mental note to treat Harry to some extra cosseting over the next few weeks. It was the least he could do, after all the love and caring the younger man had brought into his life.

A life which, before his mate, he could now admit had been a barren wasteland. Filled with nothing but a monotonous routine, never living just existing. Coasting from one event to the next, nothing and no one ever having any importance or meaning. But that was past him now, and it was mostly thanks to his love.

And Harry was certainly a blessing to any who had the courage to accept him for who he really was. He was a friend to all, willingly serving any group of which he was a part. He was the kind who did what needs to be done, to help the whole. Even now, after the world deserted him, he still tried to save them.

He just wished the world would realise what a gift they had in Harry Potter, now Snape. He was exactly the type of dreamer who can put his dreams into a practical application for the betterment of mankind. Though he did prefer to serve privately, behind the scenes, without fanfare or recognition. Considering who he was, that was just not possible.

But even so, he reminded himself that they _did_ have a home to go back to, fickle British wizarding public notwithstanding.

* * *

"Come, sit gentlemen. I trust we are making progress?" Severus said, deciding that the silence needed to be broken, well, apart from Weasley's incessant jabbering that was.

"Sn-Severus. I didn't see you there. Harry mentioned…you're bonded." Sirius gulped. "_Congratulations._" He whispered the last part  
Severus raised an eyebrow, ignoring Harry's warning glare.

"Thank you Black. Please, do sit down and join us for our meal. I see Archie is there behind you, come and sit as well." Snape felt a little satisfaction at the surprise on his lover's face, along with his boyhood enemy. Clearly both of them had been expecting him to reply with some sarcastic comment. He decided that delight of shocking them was worth missing the chance to poke Black's usually poorly managed temper.

Conversation throughout the meal was friendly, if a little stilted on Sirius' part. He behaved himself though. And it seemed from outward appearance, that he was observing _everything _before making any judgements for forming opinions on the four friends and their situation.

"_How unusual_." Severus thought to himself.

Gradually, over an extended lunch, and then later refreshments when they moved out into the consulate's extensive gardens, they filled Sirius in on everything which had been happening since even before Harry's imprisonment.

Harry was pleased to note his godfather was genuinely outraged in the right places and also happy that his godson had found love and acceptance. Even if his home was on the other side of the world, and even if his lover was Severus. Though, coming from an ancient, pureblood family meant that he understood about soul bonds, and so it made what was still a rather bitter pill, easier to swallow.

Archie, with a rather enigmatic smile on his face, quietly offered the same invitation to Sirius as he had to Remus, as the group moved inside to go over some more reports.

The former convict was flabbergasted, and Archie laughed at the perfect look of surprise on the other man's face. His laughter died though, when an agitated aide entered the room and swiftly made his way to his side. The group's bodyguard, which essentially was what Archie's role actually was, waved Sirius towards the others as he listened to what his team member had to say.

The Animagus joined the four men sitting round the dining table, which was now covered in a tidal wave of paper.

"You guys got a system for all this?" Sirius said, poking a nearby pile with his wand, which had been returned to him earlier that day.

"Yes! We _do_, so please, _don't do that_!" Draco replied, almost shrieking, his fingers fiddling with his wand, as if he wanted to curse the marauder for nearly ruining his careful layout.

Ron, Harry and Severus just chuckled at the sight, though they did exchange worried glances and look nervously over to where Archie and one of his underlings were whispering urgently.

The one who had just entered was waving his arms around, obviously upset about something, and Archie didn't look much better. Eventually, they seemed to come to an agreement of some kind, and the aide, whoever he was, exited in an abrupt fashion, a scowl worthy of Snape on his face.

Archie looked pretty pissed off too, but there was more of a resigned air about him. He made his way over to his charges, which he was starting to think of as his friends, and sat down at the table.

"Gentlemen, we have a problem."

* * *

"Ah, thank you all for coming. Now, I have just received word from one of my sources at the Ministry. It seems our dear Saviour has decided to grace us with his presence once more! Yes, that's right," He said to the shocked faces. "Harry Potter is in England, staying in London." Albus Dumbledore seemed truly delighted to depart this information to his gathered cohorts – notably, the Order of the Phoenix.

There were varying reactions around the room.

* * *

Flitwick, Sprout, McGonagall, Vector, Sinistra and Pomfrey merely looked at each other, a wordless agreement spreading between them to meet later and discuss this properly. For now, they would listen and make note of anything they deemed useful or important.

Most of the other Order members began chattering about whether this was a good thing or not. Molly Weasley started beating her breast and demanding that Harry be brought to her so she could see with her own eyes that he was OK, and scold him for running away. There seemed to be something false in her dramatic prostrations, and this was noticed by more than one person.

* * *

Arthur Weasley was hit once again with a wave of guilt, the reminders of how he had not acted the way he should have done, when the young man he had thought so highly of, was arrested and sentenced. He pushed those thoughts aside though, as he knew he had wasted far too much time wallowing in self recrimination. His older sons were still out of the country and keeping their family at a distance, but his tentative overtures to them had met with some success.

So, he accepted now, just as he had weeks before – his part in Harry Potter's life was over, unless the man himself invited him back into it. With that, he shot a dirty look at his wife, and edged away from her a little.

* * *

The Weasley twins, who were present despite their lack of enthusiasm for anything involving the Order, smirked to each other and sat back, slightly disgusted at their mother's display. If, and they meant _if, _Harry was back, he would contact them in his own time. That was if he wanted to.

They were rather ashamed of themselves for their lack of action when he was convicted. Oh, they had tried to defend him, but had backed down when their parents had turned on them. Unlike Ron, who had been steadfast 'til the end. When they found out about Harry's escape and eventual pardon, they had decided. They would apologise, and if Harry still didn't want to know them, then they would respect his wishes. It was the least they could do.

* * *

Remus, who was also at this meeting, was angry. How the hell did Dumbledore find out? He certainly hadn't leaked it, and the security charms that Archie fellow had used on his mind were foolproof. Maybe it was someone from the consulate? Merlin knew no organisation was entirely safe from 'entrepreneurs' who would sell any titbit of information for the right price.

Then again, as New Zealand citizens, there would be a record of their entry into the country with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. Perhaps the Ministry had found the news, and one of the old man's puppets had _dutifully _passed it on? He was sure, he would probably never find out. He glanced around the room to see how people were taking the news.

He noted the reactions of Flitwick and his chums, and filed that away. He too was slightly disgusted with Molly and her posturing. He felt rather sorry for Arthur, who had a rather bleak and tired expression on his face. He skimmed over the others and settled on Hermione Weasley.

Ooh, she made his blood boil!

It was entirely possible that the blame for most of what had gone wrong over the last five or six years could be laid at her door. _If _she was the one drugging people, and frankly, what evidence they had pointed at her. _The bitch!_ Moony wanted some quality time with her during the next full moon, and he was sure that pup of hers would thank him for it.

Poor little Emma-Jane.

She was an annoying, bossy, almost miniature Hermione. But Remus suspected she acted that way and emulated her mother because it was the only way she could get the attention she craved so desperately. You only had to look in the tiny girl's eyes to see how unhappy she was.

Both ban and werewolf suddenly felt bad for the way they had treated the child over the last few years, and resolved to make more effort with her, if they were given the chance.

* * *

"I can see you are all as excited by this news as I am. That's enough, Molly". Dumbledore gave the Weasley matriarch a stern look before continuing. "Now, I am sure you all agree that he must be made to return to us, and face Voldemort. By any means necessary. He has been allowed too much freedom up until now, and the boy has to be made to see sense, by force, if needed." Albus lectured and more than a few people stared at him incredulously.

"Albus, surely you understand. He is not a boy any longer, but a grown man of twenty one years. If he does not wish to help us, then that is _his _choice. And however scared I might be of Voldemort, I would not blame Mr Potter if he chose not to." This surprising speech came from McGonagall, of all people, and Dumbledore glared in consternation briefly at the outburst from his favourite pawn.

She could be made to see sense however, he reminded himself, so he quickly covered his anger with his usual twinkle, at the same time repressing the voice in his mind of a gentle old man, who protested his less than 'light side' thoughts and actions. Now was not the time to lose his resolve.

"Minerva, you are forgetting the prophecy." He chided gently, and she snorted with scorn.

"Ah yes, the prophecy. WHICH WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT TELL US!" Who knew Sinistra had such a temper? Remus had always thought she was a gentle soul. Just goes to show – it's always the quiet ones…

"Now, now, my dear Aurora, you know as well as I do, the reason why I cannot share the exact details of the prophecy with you. Suffice it to say, I know its contents. That should be enough." Dumbledore was finding it hard to maintain his outward appearance of calm.

Such insubordination! Was it to be borne? No, it was not!

"Then how can you expect us to act on it, if we do not know what it is?" It seemed the members of Flitwick's little gang had abandoned their proposed silence, and while Pomfrey and Albus started shouting the odds. Remus used a little known charm to temporarily connect his mind with Filius' so they could speak without being heard. It was useful little spell, one that Archie had shown him.

* * *

It was a testament to the tiny professor's years of experience that he did not show his shock on his face, when Remus began speaking in his mind.

"_Filius, don't jump – it's me, Remus." _He flicked a quick glance in the Charms teacher's direction, and their eyes met briefly before they both looked away.

"_How are you doing this Remus? Is it a charm? Because I would love to know..." _

Remus could not stop his chuckled inside their shared mind as he felt the little professor's child like delight at the chance to learn something new.

"_You're really not the Head of Ravenclaw for nothing, are you Filius? Yes, it is a charm, and yes, I can teach it to you, but it only lasts for a few minutes at best, so I have to be quick. What I wanted to say was, I know_ _the contents of the prophecy. The exact words. And I would be happy to tell you later if you would like. Don't ask me how I know, just accept that I do." _He could feel the magic begin to unravel, and Flitwick must have felt his urgency, as he rushed out his agreement and named a meeting place, before the spell collapsed and their minds detached from each other.

* * *

The meeting broke up not long after that, as it had, like most Order meetings these days, descended into different arguments about who was to blame, what should be done differently, and even whether Harry should be arrested like Scrimgeour wanted.

Despite Archie and his government's reassurances, Remus was not _at all_ confident that Harry was safe from his so-called allies, let alone his enemies. Of which there seemed to be many. There wasn't much that worrying could do for him, he knew that, but it did not stop him from being anxious about his friends. In fact he would think there was something wrong with him if he wasn't.

Tired of this school, the Order and all the Machiavellian manoeuvrings going on behind the scenes, Remus and Moony retired to their rooms to rest, and see what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

**_Please Review!_**


	16. Fancy Meeting You Here

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or anything else you**** recognise. **

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, sorry for the wait here. I made myself more of an outline now, so things should be flowing better. I've also got a wonderful new Beta - SeulWolfe, who is helping me keep everything legible etc. **

* * *

Chapter Sixteen – Fancy Meeting You Here

* * *

"With a peck of hush and a pinch of calm

You will fall under my charm."

**From "_A somewhat optimistic book of spells for emergency use when all conventional methods of crisis resolution have failed."_**

* * *

"NO!"

Harry sat bolt upright in bed, one hand clutching his scar, and pain erupting through every nerve in his body. Severus stirred beside him, and opened bleary eyes to try and find whatever had woken him. When he spotted his lover next to him and in obvious pain, he made the rest of the journey between asleep and awake instantly.

"Harry? What's the matter? Is it the Dark Lord? Did you not clear your mind before sleeping?" He said, a worried frown on his face. Harry tried to reply, but was it hurt too much to speak. Realising this by the sensations coming through the bond, and by the state his mate was in; Severus cursed himself a hundred times a fool, and grabbed his wand to summon a strong pain reliever.

Once Harry had swallowed enough, Severus pulled him closed to his chest, and pressed a kiss to the angry red scar. Harry revelled in the soothing feeling and lapped up the comfort his lover was offering.

"What did you see?" He barely heard the question, as he found the sound of Severus' heartbeat was lulling him back to sleep.

"Dragons. Romania. Warn Charlie." Harry muttered the words, before drifting off into peaceful oblivion. It was some hours later before Severus joined him.

* * *

The following morning, over breakfast, he related the rest of the particulars to their rather odd little group.

"He's planning on attacking the dragon reserve in Romania where Charlie Weasley works. His idea is to show the dragons that their human keepers are weak, and therefore unable to protect them. He wants to persuade them over to his side." He said, and the rest exchanged worried looks, not the least of them was Ron.

"We…we will help them right? I mean, Charlie wasn't involved in all that. Well, he didn't help or anything, me or the others that is. But still, he's my brother see, and well…" His voice trailed off at the thought that one of his family might be hurt. Especially one who hadn't really done anything to him.

Most of them glanced at Archie, two seeking permission and two clearly indicating that this _was _something they were going to do – permission or not. He chuckled a little at the sheer determination on Harry's face.

"Of course, of course. It is time to make a stand after all, and this is a critical confrontation. _No one _in the world can afford for Voldemort to get the dragons on his side. Since we have forewarning, we can go in prepared, and help the dragon keepers defend their home. Did you get any indication of when this attack was to take place?" He asked and Harry grimaced.

"Yeah, tomorrow." He replied and Archie shrugged eloquently.

"Better than nothing I suppose. It will have to do. Excuse me while I make a few calls, as it were." He said, leaving the room.

* * *

They were standing in the back garden, all holding onto a length of rope which would act as the portkey to take them to Romania. Since the British Ministry already seemed to know they were in England somewhere, and muggle transportation would take too long, a portkey was their best bet. Not that Harry had to _like _it of course.

"I hate portkeys." He announced to the group, and most of them laughed. He sniffed and looked at the ground.

"Don't worry darling." A voice murmured into his ear, and he leaned into the source of that deliciously silken voice. "I've got you." His lover said, and he felt strong arms circle his waist, just as that tugging sensations set in.

They landed, some in a heap, but Severus managed to keep them both upright. Harry decided it was nice to have someone to take care of you, particularly when he felt a warm hand on his stomach, calming the roiling which always seemed to develop whenever he used a bloody portkey. Damn nuisances they were. Forget their usefulness. Yes, when _he _was King, they would be first against the wall… no, that wasn't the line, right?

His internal ramblings were interrupted by the shouts of lots of burly dragon keepers, one of which had a shock of bright orange hair.

_"Time for another reunion."_ Harry thought, _"Oh, joy!"_ He really was picking up bad habits from Severus.

"Harry! I read about your innocence, I'm sorry I didn't, well, that is, I mean to say – Oh hell!" Charlie scuffed his boot in the dirt, looking like a student Severus had found wandering the school at night. So alike was his countenance to one such occasion where his former teacher _did _find him out after curfew, that Severus laughed. Loud and long. Charlie's head shot up in surprise, which only made the older man laugh all the more.

"Perhaps we should go somewhere where we can talk? I can assure you we mean no harm to you or your charges." Archie stepped in, and Charlie exchanged looks with the other keepers. One of them, clearly the boss of sorts, stepped forwards.

"Alright, you lot, come with me. Charlie, Mika, Tash, and Oonagh, you join us. You over there, watch the rest of 'em. Everyone else, back to work!" Clearly Charlie's boss was not someone to mince words.

Archie, Harry, Severus, Draco, Ron and Sirius followed the dragon keepers into a nearby cottage, which from the look of the inside was an office of sorts. It was comfortably furnished, but nothing out of the ordinary or excessive. The boss man seemed to notice them looking and frowned.

"We like to live simple here. Now, tell us, what's the bunch of you playing at, just turning up here? We got no groups booked in for months." He asked, sticking his jaw out pugnaciously and looking from face to face.

Archie related to him the information they had learned from Harry's vision, and though the boss, who turned out to be called Stig, was sceptical at first, his doubts began to fade when Charlie mentioned his own knowledge of Harry's connection to Voldemort and its effects.

"So, you're here to help then?" Stig demanded and the visitors nodded. "Humph." He replied, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"That roughly translates to, 'Thank you for portkeying all the way from England to warn us, your help is much appreciated. May we put you up for the night'?" The one called Oonagh said, and everyone laughed again.

* * *

"Why Sirius? Why did you let me think you were dead? That _I _had caused your death." Harry's voice began to get weak, and he choked out his next words. "_That I was alone._"

Sirius was stricken.

They were staying in one of the buildings on the reserve. It was basically a long room filled with rows of beds and a washroom located behind a door leading off the main area. Harry and Sirius were sat on opposite beds, talking, while a couple of the others were outside helping with preparations. Things hadn't been going well, and even though he realised it was a bad time to bring this particular question up, Harry couldn't help himself.

Sirius tried to speak, to explain, but he hit a brick wall inside his mind.

"H –" He wheezed, trying to force the words out. "I –" He tried again, but it wouldn't come.

"Sirius! Please! Tell me!" Harry demanded, desperation and anger fuelling his words.

The door was flung open, and Severus marched in, a determined look on his face. He went immediately to Harry's side, clearly having sensed something was wrong, and gathered his mate into his arms. Harry struggled briefly, but then relented buried his head in his lover's chest, glad of both the comfort and the reminder that he had people to rely on now.

Quickly realising he was not going to get much sense out of Harry at that moment; he turned to face Black, hoping for some explanation. No such luck there either, as he too, was in tears. Cursing under his breath, Severus glanced to the corner where Archie was observing.

"He wanted to know why Mr Black faked his death at the Department of Mysteries." The bodyguard walked forwards slowly, his face full of sympathy as he observed the two distraught men. Snape nodded and turned back to Sirius.

"And?" He prompted. Sirius floundered helplessly.

"The walls around my house are not four foot tall." He replied, and Severus blinked.

"Indeed." He muttered, confused. Given the man's behaviour since he was treated for his poisoning, Snape had begun to believe the story that had originally been fed to the Order of why Black had done what he did was not _wholly_ true. Not if the feelings he was expressing now _were _true.

This cryptic response to his and Harry's direct questions only added weight to that theory. Some mind control spells could make the subject react this way, but they had been banned for _years,_ because they could have terrible long term side effects. Really, with all the tampering that had been going on with Black's mind, it was a wonder he even had one left. Though, in _his _opinion, the existence of Sirius Black's brain had always been in question.

But now was not the time for that.

"He seems to be under some kind of blocking charm which is preventing him from speaking about it. I wonder if it is triggered by certain questions. Or key words? Very interesting." Severus said, tapping his chin with one long finger as he considered it. Sirius glared at him, but didn't speak.

"Is it just when he's asked about his motivations, or about the entire incident?" Archie was looking at him curiously, as if the former Marauder was a complex puzzle he was just _itching _to solve. Sirius didn't seem too pleased with his scrutiny either, but again, didn't speak.

"Well now, I suppose one of our _celebrated _healers may be able to break through and release the unfortunate fellow from his _distressing _circumstances?" Severus suggested, his voice dripping sarcasm and a smug glint in his eyes.

Clearly he was enjoying his childhood tormentor's predicament. Harry snorted, but was not inclined to scold him. His godfather might be suffering _now_, but he had brought a lot of this on himself.

Of course he didn't blame him for being duped by whoever poisoned him, but the things he'd done to Severus when they were children, well; there wasn't really _any_ excuse which would be sufficient.

_Yes, _he was merely a child, and children are cruel.

_Yes, _Severus was a Slytherin and not entirely blameless himself.

_However,_ Sirius was now a grown man, hell! He'd had plenty of opportunities to make amends when they were all thrown together at Grimmauld Place. But he didn't. Therefore, Harry would not pull his mate up on his harmless teasing of Black in this situation.

Minimal though it was, being on the receiving end might just demonstrate to him how hurtful he had been in the past. Maybe. Even Sirius himself would not deny that he could be a downright pigheaded bastard when he wanted to be.

"Yes, well. That probably would be the wisest course of action. I recall reading that they specialise in maladies of the mind?" Archie said, still considering the now exasperated man in front of him.

Truly, Sirius was not enjoying himself. Of course, he was glad to have been freed from the drug he had been under, and been treated a lot more fairly than he would have expected. Even better than he would have treated one of them, if their situations were reversed.

But now, Harry had to bring _this_ up. Not that he hadn't expected it, sooner or later, but the truth was that he didn't have an adequate answer. There was no special potion to use as a get out of jail free card.

Dumbledore had suggested it, and he had gone along with it, believing that the old man knew what he was doing, and that Harry would understand in the end. Although, that being said, he had _not _expected to be placed under a security charm on the _extremely _dodgy side of legal, so that he couldn't speak about it with anyone.

Albus had said it was to spare him the temptation of revealing himself to his godson prematurely. He had wondered then and wondered now if the stupid old git had been invading his mind, because he _had _planned to tell Harry at the first available opportunity.

He was fiercely regretting any involvement with the Order of the Phoenix. Seemed their only achievements were making a whole load of people _very _unhappy. And not much more than that.

"Harry, I…" Sirius tried, but Harry had had enough.

"I – I can't deal with this right now. I'm going outside for a bit. You guys can take care of this right?" He said, not bothering to wait for an answer before leaving the room. Ron started forward as if to follow, but Severus stopped him.

"No, let him be. He just needs to be on his own." He declared and the others reluctantly nodded. Snape turned back to Sirius. "Well then Black, what shall we do with you?"

* * *

Harry was leaning against a fence, gazing into what appeared to be an empty field. Maybe not the brightest idea in a dragon reserve, but he wasn't exactly thinking very clearly just then. He turned around and looked over the parts of the grounds he could see from his vantage point. People were dashing about here and there, trying to organize some defence for the attack they now all knew would occur tomorrow.

Harry was glad to be there, glad to be able to warn them. Those years in prison, he had known about some of the attacks but had been incredibly frustrated and pained at not being to help or tell anyone. Now he could, and he felt positive about it. But there were still so many unanswered questions. One of the most important of which was Sirius' 'death' in the Department of Mysteries. It was something he was aching to know, and it seemed like once more, the way forward was blocked.

He stiffened at the sound of a snort and hot breath on his back.

He didn't know what to do, whether he should move or not. Panic began welling up in his chest, but he couldn't move. He let the fear rage for a few moments, before coming to a decision. He was pretty sure it was his Gryffindor side rearing its head, but it was the only plan he had right now.

Slowly, so slowly that he barely felt like he was moving at all, Harry turned round. All the way round, until he found he was face to face with a Norwegian Ridgeback.

"_Oh fuck!" _He bit down on his lips to stop himself from screaming in pure terror. The dragon's head couldn't be more than four feet from him.

"_This is it! I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die…" _He kept repeating it in it his mind, over and over as he looked directly into the dragon's eyes. It almost became a mantra, and he never knew how long he stood there, just, staring.

_"Do not fear so, young one. I mean you no harm." _A calm voice sounded in his head. Harry jumped, perturbed that he now seemed to be hearing voices.

Well, it wasn't a first for him. Why not just roll with it? Ha! "_Great one Harry, now you're going to die, and you're hearing voices again, just g__-reat!"_

A feeling of mirth not his own welled up in him and Harry blinked, confused.

"_You are droll, young one, but fear not. Your mind is not playing tricks with you. It is I, who is speaking with you. I know not how this has occurred. But it is what it is, and no more than that. It is a long time since I last saw you. You have grown from a mere hatchling into a fine adult, and are already mated I see." _The Dragon blinked and seemed to be sniffing him. Harry just stayed still, not quite able to take this in at the moment.

"_Yes, your mate is strong. He will protect you and your nest. Can males of your kind have hatchlings? Or must you take in hatchlings with no nest? I have heard your kind sometimes does this."_

Harry was suddenly not feeling so well. In fact, he was feeling rather overwhelmed by this. And who could blame him?

So, this Dragon was talking to him in his head? And it seemed to know him? But how? The only dragons he knew were the Hungarian Horntail he fought in the first task and then Hagrid's Norbert of course…no…it _couldn't_ be?

Without realising how he was doing it, Harry sent his thought out. "_Norbert? Is that you?" _He asked, a little lamely.

"_Indeed, it is I. I believe you are called Harry. Is this correct?" _At Harry's nod, the dragon went on. "_Ah, that is good to know. As I said before, it is a long time since I last saw you. What brings you here? No, wait...I see it in your mind. So, the self styled Dark Lord sees fit to attack our nests? And the ones who care for us? Such infamy! It is not to be borne!" _At this the young man took a nervous step back from the clearly angry dragon. He didn't really think that Norbert would attack him, but since this was his first conversation with a dragon, surely a few precautions couldn't hurt?

_"Fear not, Harry. I am enraged, but I will not harm you or any of the ones who seek to protect us. Go back to your mate now, for he is worried. I shall inform my brethren of what is to come. We will assist you. You have my word. Go, now." _

* * *

"Harry? What's the matter? You look like you've had a nasty shock." Ron said, as the aforementioned wizard stumbled back into their room. He shook his head, not really focusing on anything, his mind still awhirl from what had just happened to him.

What exactly _had_ happened? And _how?_ He had no bloody idea. Only that it was one more bizarre and impossible thing that just seemed to fall into his lap, like everything else.

"I – I don't know how, but I, well, I spoke to Norbert." He said, plonking himself down on the nearest bed, and staring off into the distance with wide and slightly glazed eyes.

"N-Norbert? But he's a dragon!" Ron protested and Harry shook off his shock briefly to roll his eyes at him. Ron blushed and rolled his _own _eyes in acknowledgement.

"_Engage brain, pause, then speak." _The redhead silently reminded himself, and shared a look with his lover.

"Ah, could I just clarify one point please? What did you mean by 'spoke'? You just went to his enclosure and talked at him, or what?" Asked Charlie, and Harry stirred himself again.

"I spoke with him in here." He said, tapping his forehead. "We had a _conversation_. It was horrifying yet thrilling all at the same time. Incidentally, he'd going to tell the other dragons about what Voldemort has planned. He promised they would help with the fight, since this is their home too." Harry explained, and sighed at the varying looks of shock displayed on the faces of the other people in the room.

"Well now. Things just keep getting odder and odder around you, don't they love? What are you going to come up with to cap this then, hmm? No, don't tell me. I want it to be a surprise. Though I do draw the line at anything involving a trapeze and sequins." Severus said in a humorous voice, and sat next to Harry to draw him into his arms yet again. Quietly, he whispered in his ear. "Darling, I have no earthly idea how this happened, but for once, and don't quote me on this, for once, let's focus on the bright side and worry about it later. What do you think?" He asked and Harry turned to him with a large smile.

"I think that's a very good idea. Just don't start singing songs from 'The Life of Brian', OK?" He replied and Severus gave him a snooty sneer.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He murmured. There was a pause, and then, "And who is this _Brian_, anyway?"


	17. You Never Asked

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter, or anything else you recongise. **

**A/N: I've been away soooo long. Sorry for the delay. I have no excuses, other than a lack of motivation and a few major health problems. But all is well in the end. So, no more babbling, on with the show!**

° - Indicates blatant homage to "The Princess Bride".

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen - You Never Asked  
**

* * *

"The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget."

**Thomas Szasz, The Second Sin (1973)** _"Personal Conduct"_

* * *

Harry and Severus were up before everyone else the following morning. 

Neither could sleep very well, so they decided to take advantage of this moment of privacy, away from the others. The reserve was fairly quiet, only a few watchers were scattered about so no one bothered the two men as they picked their way through the long grass, past the various enclosures. When they reached the one by which Harry had spoken with Norbert the day before, they decided to stop and sit down.

Leaning back against the fence, seated on a thick blanket which they had had the forethought not only to bring with them, but place impervious and warming charms on, they talked quietly of unimportant things, and took simple pleasure in their closeness.

"You know, when we get back to New Zealand, well, I've been thinking. Perhaps we should get our own place? Not that I don't like living with Ron and Draco, but it would be nice, wouldn't it? If it was just the two of us, and it was, well, our place?" Harry suggested and Severus nodded slowly, before smiling.

"I think that idea has merit, Harry. And I will admit the thought of having you all to myself with no... _distractions_, is vastly appealing. Do you have any preferences as to what type of home, or location?" He asked, and Harry paused to think.

"Let's see...I would like to stay in Nelson, or nearby. I really like the area. But maybe a little further out of town, away from all the noise and bustle. Closer to the ocean would be nice. I did see some lovely looking plots available for sale out towards Tahunanui, and that sort of area. It would be wonderful to actually build the house we want! I mean, just think of it! We could have large gardens and greenhouses - where we could grow our own potions ingredients, and our own veg. You could design your own lab, right from the ground up. And it wouldn't have to be in some dank, dirty dungeon either. We can get wards to keep the people we don't want to see out, it would be great!"

Severus was overjoyed to see how happy and excited Harry was, and how enthusiastic he was being about their future.

It warmed the heart he had long thought was dead, and wiped away any lingering doubts he might have had, despite their bonding. Harry, _his_ Harry, with eyes that bright with anticipation was a beautiful sight, and he settled into listen to his lover chirrup away about all the things they could do and how amazing their life together would be.

* * *

"What do you think of children?" Severus asked during a lull in the conversation. He used a deceptively casual tone, and wasn't even looking in his mate's direction. But Harry could tell, he knew how important this issue was to his lover. Didn't stop him from wanting to tease, however. 

"Well, that's a difficult question. Do you mean, children in general, or ours specifically?" He cocked his head to the side, and received a mild glare in return. Smiling, to show he was just jesting, Harry continued. "I'm not against the idea, not at all. But I would like to wait a while first. I don't think I'm suitable to be anyone's role model, right now, let alone a guardian or parent." He replied sheepishly, and Severus pulled him closer.

"I disagree - about you not being suitable, that is, but I do understand about wanting to wait. We need to get used to _us_ first, before we bring anyone else in. I had considered as well, and would like your opinion on, whether we should try to take in troubled youths, rather than hold out hope for adopting a newborn. We neither of us had happy childhoods, and would be able to relate better than most... I - what do you think?" He asked, an uncharacteristic hesitance in his voice.

Harry paused to think for a moment, before smiling again. "I - my gut reaction is that yes, I would like to. It, well, it feels like the right thing to do. And I would love to be able to help, you know. Severus, I know I don't tell you often enough, but I _do_ love you." He said, leaning in and resting his forehead against the side of the older man's head, kissing the smooth skin beneath his lips tenderly.

"Ah, you mean the world to me, you know you do. I am not an especially romantic man, nor a very demonstrative one. I have seen how this has made others keep their distance from me, over the years. And as well they should, for I behaved that way deliberately. After a while, it became second nature and I believe I forgot why I had set myself up in such a manner in the first place. It becomes easier, the longer you keep your feelings separate from other people, to remain so. You feel safe, in control, but you miss out on what life is supposed to be about, because you're afraid. Afraid of being vulnerable and having someone you trust stomp all over your heart. Afraid of being rejected and looking like a fool, having people laugh at you. You've broken down more barriers than even you realise, I think." He paused to chuckle darkly, before continuing.

"Harry, all I was originally going to say was thank you and how lucky I am to be with you, I -"

His words were cut off when a loud klaxon went off throughout the encampment. Both of them stared at the other for a few minutes before they grabbed each other and shared a quick hard kiss.

"Don't die today." Severus commanded and Harry nodded.

"You either." They rose, their blanket forgotten for the moment, and started towards where the others were gathering. A voice in Harry's head stopped them.

"_Young one. The attack comes. We must take to the air, and prevent them from entering our nest!" _

Severus was looking over Harry's shoulder at the enormous dragon standing behind him. He knew the dragon wasn't more than ten years old, but it was still a terrifying sight. Harry himself was gaping at Norbert, and then turned back to face Severus.

"He wants me to fly with him. On - on his _back! _I - Gods! Me, flying a bloody dragon!" He ran his hands through his hair repeatedly, in an agitated fashion, only stopping when Severus grabbed his wrists.

"He won't hurt you, I'm sure. You will be fine." He said the last part as if trying to reassure himself as well. He glanced over his lover's shoulder again, before shuddering slightly. "I must stay here." He went on, noticing the various people rushing to their assigned positions. "Go with Norbert, but - keep in touch. Perform that charm and link our minds, that way, you can relay information to me and I will know - " _I will know you are still alive_. He didn't need to say the last part aloud, it hung in the air between them.

After sharing one final embrace, the two men separated and Harry headed towards the dragon. As he watched his love clamber up the side of the great beast's neck, he noticed Archie and the others joining him. They were struck dumb at the sight. Well, nearly.

"Oi! What the blazes does he think he is doing!?!" Demanded Sirius. Severus pointedly ignored him.

"_Be safe Harry. Be Well." _He sent silently.

"_I will, I love you."_ He heard back almost instantly, and smiled in a distracted fashion. He waited until the two were airborne, and man and dragon were heading towards the south. Sighing softly, he turned back to face the others.

"He and Norbert will scout out the intruders and fend of any aerial attackers. Come, we must take our positions." He said, forcibly moving Black by yanking on one of his arms when he remained fixed to the point where Harry and Norbert had taken off from.

* * *

In the end, it wasn't much of a fight. 

The Deatheaters had clearly been expecting to surprise a slumbering camp of dragon researchers, and _not_ a very awake and alert camp of dragon handlers, plus seasoned soldiers, body guards, Aurors and the like. Add the dragons literally raining fire down on them, and they quite literally high tailed it back to whatever rocks they had crawled out from under.

As the defenders were gathering together, setting up a triage of sorts for any injuries, a series of _pops_ alerted them to arrival of more people, just outside of the anti-apparition wards. Understandably, the people in the reserve gathered in a defensive formation, expecting more invaders. A cry sounded for them to stand down when they noticed the red robes of the Aurors, and the commanding officer identified himself, presenting Stig with his credentials.

Unfortunately, on the heels of the Aurors were both the Minister and Dumbledore's band of incompetents.

The Minister and the Headmaster met as they walked through the gates, oily smiles fixed in place, and a brief, perfunctory handshake serving as a greeting of sorts. It was Scrimgeour who spotted Harry first, for better or worse, and though his face did take on a determined cast, he _did _look rather shaken when the man he'd come to arrest dismounted the dragon he'd just landed with.

"Mr Potter, these Aurors have a warrant for your arrest, signed by myself. Do us all a favour and come quietly." He sneered, trying and failing to pull off the patented Severus Snape Scary Stare Mark IV.

Some of the dragon handlers bristled visibly, particularly Stig, who did _not _like the British Minister of Magic marching into _his _reserve and throwing his weight around.

"On what grounds?" Harry asked calmly, standing shoulder to shoulder with his mate, not looking the least bit intimidated.

Scrimgeour, on the other hand, was being subjected to the _real_ Severus Snape's Scary Stare, and was paling fast. Perhaps unwisely, he continued to try and press on with his little coup.

"On the grounds of High Treason to the Wizarding People of the United Kingdom. So, as I said before, come quietly and it may count in your favour. Resist, and well..." He spread his hands, clearly trying to imply something. Harry nodded, not looking at the Minister for a moment, but he made no move towards the Aurors, who bizarrely were hanging back.

"And you have an extradition agreement with Romania then, do you Minister?" He asked, though he directed his gaze towards the Auror who had spoken with Stig. The man shook his head slightly and then was still again.

"Why I - That is not the point! Boy, you are coming with us!" Rufus yelled, clearly having not thought of that. Archie, who had been enjoying the show immensely, decided that now was the time to make his presence known.

"Minister Rufus Scrimgeour I believe?" He said, smoothly offering his hand.

Scrimgeour frowned at the man's accent, and Severus and the others spotted the Order shuffling closer at the sight of this new development. Clearly the Ministry and the Order were co-operating more these days as they _had_ expected the two groups to be bickering over who had the right to take Harry in first. Or maybe they weren't. The Aurors kept sneaking annoyed looks at the Order members, and the Order members were shrinking away from their stern glances.

"Yes, and who might you be?" The Minister answered warily and Archie smiled.

"I'm a representative of the Magical government of New Zealand. Had she known I would be meeting you, Minister Woodford would have been sure to pass on her regards. Please allow me to do so on her behalf." He replied and noted the sight of outrage in the British Minister's eyes which was quickly hidden. Whether it was outrage at his interference or the fact that Mariella was a woman, he didn't know. Probably, it was a bit of both.

"Yes, well. Do return my regards to her also. May I ask what you are doing here?" He ground out, smiling in the same oily way he had with Dumbledore. Archie also smiled again, before gesturing to Harry and the others.

"Of course you may, Minister Scrimgeour. Actually, Minister Woodford asked me to accompany these countryman of mine back to the United Kingdom, because she was fearful of their safety." He gestured to indicate Harry, Severus, Ron and Draco. Ignoring the murmurs he ploughed on. "Understandable really, given the current climate. While there, we uncovered a plot to attack this reserve, and since we knew not only how important these reserves are in protecting endangered species, but some of my friends knew people who worked here, we decided to come and warn them. Mr Stig here was kind enough to put us up last night, and lucky he did too, since the attack came this morning." The bodyguard was all charm and good humour, and Scrimgeour was finding it hard to maintain his ire. His face relaxed briefly, before flaring up again.

"_Countrymen?!_ You claim that these men are your countrymen? Inconceivable! What _are_ you babbling about?" He demanded, shrinking back slightly when Archie's face went rigid.°

"What I am _babbling _about, _Minister _Scrimgeour, is that these gentlemen are citizens of New Zealand and thus beyond your jurisdiction. In law, treason is the crime of disloyalty to one's nation. A person who betrays the nation of their citizenship and/or reneges on an oath of loyalty and in some way wilfully cooperates with an enemy, is considered to be a traitor. As such, I find it necessary to inquire as to your purpose here, since this matter is nothing to do with you or your _Ministry_." He scoffed, disdain and contempt evident in every minor inflection of his voice.

There was silence while the British Minister tried to take this on board.

"Inconceivable!" Rufus spluttered again, seeming to have lost all his previous abilities at diplomacy and blatant schmoozing.°

"I do not think that word means what you think it means." Said Archie, trying to keep a straight face. So too, were some of his cohorts. The reference was lost on most of the other wizards present and the obvious amusement of the New Zealanders only served to inflame the British Minister further.°

"Perhaps I may intervene at this point, Mr?" Dumbledore stepped forward smoothly, fishing for Archie's name.

"No you may not, Mr Dumbledore. I fail to see what business might bring the Headmaster of a British boarding school to a dragon reserve in Romania. Whatever it is, I am sure it has nothing to do with myself and my countrymen." The man replied, beginning to get a little tired of all this posturing and folderol.

"Of course, of course. Why, we heard of the attack and my friends and I, being concerned for the safety of the dragons and the people who work here, came as quickly as we could to offer our assistance. Molly and Arthur Weasley you see there, and some of their children were worried for Charlie, he is their son too you see. It was the least we could do." The old man replied smoothly.

"And of course they _oh_ so conveniently arrived when all the fighting was over. Gosh, they're all so _brave_!" Draco declared, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

Ron coughed, but everyone could clearly hear what his lover had said in the silence. Giving it up as a bad job, he laughed and offered comfort to his bonded who was still faking a swoon at the supposed courage of the Order.

More than one Order member's face was coloured by outrage, while Arthur looked at his son with eyes full of wistful regret. Ron was a changed man, and Arthur barely recognised his son. The bond between him and the Malfoy heir was so strong it was practically visible.

He felt joy in his heart that Ronald had found true love, but coupled with that was also sorrow. Sorrow, because he had allowed prejudice and hysteria to turn him away from his own flesh and blood. That was something he had never thought he could do. But he had. The proof was here, in front of him.

How had he let his family tear itself apart? And for _what_?

"Ron - I -" He began, but stopped, because he realised he had no idea what to say.

Ron's eyes flicked away from his mate's theatrics and over to his parents. Arthur was pleased to see his expression soften, but not terribly happy when it hardened once more.

He didn't have the chance to say anything because, clearly wanting to press his own agenda, Dumbledore stepped in again at this point. "Ah, perhaps we should repair to more comfortable surroundings?" He suggested, looking at the Stig. The dragon handlers snorted and waited for their leader to speak.

"Frankly old man, you can fuck off. You and yours ain't welcome here. As blondie over there said, you only turned up when the fightin' was finished. And from everythin' else I've 'eard you lot are a bunch of backstabbing bastards." He spat on the ground in front of where the Order and the Ministry were standing and crossed his arms. Charlie and the rest of the handlers clearly held no confusion about where their loyalties lay, since they formed up around their boss like a protective phalanx.

"Please, Mr... Stig, this is hardly the place for such a reunion." Dumbledore suggested mildly, though a slight twitching at the corner of his eye betrayed his agitation to those who knew where to look, and what it meant.

"What reunion might that be, Dumbledore?" Harry asked, and everyone turned to stare at him.

Harry stood proudly next to his mate, his stance clearly defining that he was an adult and in full possession of his faculties. Harry felt no need to hide his emotions with empty platitudes the way the old man did, and such was evident in his face. He was not pleased, that much was certain.

"Why, we came here to ensure the safety of the reserve and are of course delighted to have this chance to see you and begin a reconciliation." Came the reply from the Headmaster, and Harry couldn't help himself, he burst out laughing. As did many of the others.

"Reconciliation? With you!?! Don't make laugh, old man! And are you using the royal we, or has your pathetic group of sycophants and toadies finally admitted that they have no brains of their own and have elected you to speak in their place? I find myself unable to decide whether that would be an improvement, or not." Harry declared, smiling nastily at the shocked and furious expressions of those he addressed.

"Severus appeared to have rubbed off on him in more ways than one." Ron said in an aside to Draco. Draco didn't bother to smack him for his crudity, he just nodded, enjoying the byplay between the Headmaster and his former pawn. Luckily nobody else heard him, as even in the best of situations it probably would've sunk like a lead balloon.

"That's not true, Harry! We wanted to see, you to tell you how sorry we are. We should never have believed you could do something like that! We want you to come home!" Declared Molly Weasley, and Harry flicked a glace at his best friend before replying.

"Mrs Weasley, I don't want to say something I will regret, so I will only say this. You never asked. Not once. You never gave me the chance to defend myself. None of you did, for that matter. Voldemort was right about you, in once sense." He paused for the inevitable gasps. "Innocent until proven guilty is _not_ a sentiment you subscribe to, and it isn't limited only to me, either. How many people have been sent to Azkaban without a hearing or trial? And just how many of your _honourable_ Aurors, your defenders of _justice_ have snuck into a defendant's prison cell and cast a silencing spell on them, just so that they could _not _tell their side of the story?" He turned to face the Auror contingent standing with Scrimgeour. "Don't think I don't recognise some of you. My eyes weren't watering until _after _you slammed your fists and feet into y face. Tell me, do you Aurors play dice to see who gets the right to beat up children in prison cells? Or is it one of those little job perks you get given when you do well in your six monthly review?" Harry hissed dangerously, and Severus leaned close to him to whisper something.

"No, I'm not going to try and stop you, love. Just take a deep breath for me. You don't want to place any more stress on your heart than necessary." He said, concern in his voice, and Harry nodded.

"Let me put it bluntly so you'll be sure to understand. The lot of you can go stuff yourselves, you make me sick! Scrimgeour, you have no right to arrest me as a citizen of the United Kingdom. If you have any _legitimate_ charges, and _actual_ evidence to back it up with, you can submit them to my government in the proper manner. Which should be rather a novelty for you. Otherwise, you and I have nothing to say to each other. So _leave_." He declared and turned his back on the fuming man.

Such a move would have been considered as reckless, if he didn't already know that Severus was shielding him, and of course, the whopping great big dragon that was standing nearby had his eye on the proceedings too.

Left with no recourse other than to depart and try and salvage some of his dignity, Scrimgeour straightened.

"This isn't over, Potter." He spat and Harry looked over his shoulder.

"Oh yes it is." He replied and the Minister and Aurors departed.

Harry kept facing away from the Order and Dumbledore, seeming to think they should be going too. They exchanged looks, unsure of what to do, some of them clearly thinking that a hasty departure would be just the ticket. Others clearly didn't agree. All things considered, that wasn't all that surprising.

"Harry, won't you turn and speak with us?" Pleaded Molly.

"But surely, it will be easier for you to place your knives in my back this way. After all, that's the only thing you lot are good for." Harry shouted and some of the Order members actually flinched.

"Think you might be right." Draco murmured to Ron.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, and I use the terms loosely - as you can see, my charges have nothing else to say to you. And our hosts here too have made their wishes known. I think it would be best if you all go home, obviously, you have no place here. Any further discourse is pointless." Archie said, stepping forward smoothly to deal with Dumbledore and his hopeless chickens. And, true to their nature, they all began clucking away in offended tones.

"You 'eard the man! And you 'eard me the first time an' all. Fuck off!" Yelled Stig, and there was yet more pathetic clucking.

"Mummy, why aren't you telling that man off for swearing?" Asked a childish voice in the silence.

"Emma-Jane, not _now_!" Said Hermione angrily and the little girl shrank back. Several people frowned, on both sides of the picket.

"Madame, please tell me you did not bring your _daughter_, to what you assumed to be a battle with _Death Eaters_ in a _dragon reserve_!" Archie said in a dangerous voice. And Hermione shrugged.

"And who are you to tell me what I can and can't do? She's perfectly safe with me." She replied defiantly, and Archie gaped at her. So did rather a lot of the others present.

Harry took this unexpected opportunity to study the offspring of his former friend and Percy Weasley.

Despite the fact that her parents were both insane and profoundly pompous, the little creature didn't look all that bad. Her hair was a combination of her parents, and seemed to be leaning towards a light chestnut in gentle waves. There was a spark in her eyes when she wasn't looking at her mother, and she seemed rather interested in the dragons and the people who worked with them.

He couldn't for the life of him understand why Hermione had brought her with her, and it looked like most of the Order had no idea either. Dumbledore hadn't batted an eyelid, which made Harry wonder if the old man was getting senile, or hadn't really believed there was going to be an attack. Possibly, the leak who had told him they had returned to Britain, also told him of their journey to Romania. Naturally he would have considered that any Death Eater presence may well have been taken care of before he got there. In fact, he may have timed it just so.

Little Emma-Jane had strayed away from her mother, and was currently gazing admiringly over the fence at Norbert, who was more than happy to show off to the young girl. Turning to face his lover, Harry thought of an idea.

"We've packed already, right?" He said quietly, and Severus raised a brow.

"_What mischief is he planning now, I wonder?_" The man wondered privately to himself, and Harry started in shock when he realised he could still hear his mate's thoughts.

"_That spell should have worn off ages ago!"_ He declared in his mind, and noticed the slight widening of Severus' eyes.

"_Indeed it should have. This is... strange. Sadly at this time, we are not at leisure to investigate. In answer to your earlier query, yes, we have packed, minus the picnic things we left out before the attack. But since they were borrowed, that is neither here nor there. I thought we had decided to spend another night here if the Death Eaters were successfully routed?_" Severus queried and Harry shrugged.

"_Why bother? The handlers can set things to rights much better without our interference, and this lot are getting on my nerves._" Harry replied and Severus nodded.

"_Very well. How shall we inform the others?_" He asked and Harry frowned. Casting silently he contacted Archie.

"_This lot are boring me to tears. Why don't we just leave them to it?_" He suggested and Archie smiled. He gestured to his men, and two of them, blocked from view by the rest, went off to summon their belongings and explain their departure to one of the handlers who was in the process of beginning the clean up.

Smirking slightly at his former best friend, Harry went to stand next to Emma-Jane. He heard Severus groan inside his head, signalling that his lover had understood precisely what he was about to do.

Unfortunately for Hermione, she was a distant parent, and so hadn't be paying attention to her daughter. In fact, she had spent most of her time scowling at Ron and Severus equally. She barely spared Harry a glance when he approached the little girl. Harry waited until he had got the OK from Severus that they were ready to go, and that he had told Draco and Ron the plan.

In a loud voice so that everyone could hear him, Harry knelt down to speak to Emma-Jane.

"Emma-Jane, isn't it?" She nodded in reply, wide eyes staring at him, though not in fear. "You may not know this, but had things been different, you might have known me as Uncle Harry. Would you like to come for a visit with me, Emma-Jane?" He asked, and she nodded.

Turning a triumphant smile on Hermione, he picked the little girl up in his arms and held her close. "Hold on tight then." He said, and activated his portkey.


End file.
